When Sydney Film Festival unveils its complete lineup in May each year, it lets Australian movie lovers know which features are on the way to the Harbour City just before the cinema-adoring world turns its eyes to Cannes. Consider the Aussie fest a cure for film FOMO, then. Plenty of the movies that are set to wow audiences in France this month will head Down Under next month. SFF always adds more such titles just before it kicks off, as late additions to the program, but 2025's roster of flicks already boasts 15 entries in the direct-from-Cannes camp. Here's a few, all playing between Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15: Josh O'Connor (Challengers) and Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza) in heist-thriller mode in filmmaker Kelly Reichardt's (Showing Up) 70s-set The Mastermind; It Was Just an Accident, the latest feature from acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi (No Bears), who is also the subject of one of SFF's 2025 retrospectives; and Dangerous Animals, hailing from Australian helmer Sean Byrne (The Loved Ones, The Devil's Candy) and telling a tale of a shark-obsessed serial killer on the Gold Coast. Musing on its eponymous author as only filmmaker Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) can, Orwell: 2+2=5 is also taking the Cannes-to-Sydney route. So is coming-of-age story Enzo from BPM (Beats Per Minute)'s Robin Campillo; Mirrors No 3, which sees German director Christian Petzold reteam with his Transit, Undine and Afire star Paula Beer; Nigeria's My Father's Shadow, the first-ever movie from the country to be selected to play on the Croisette; The Secret Agent, led by Wagner Moura (Dope Thief) for filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho (a Sydney Film Festival Prize-winner for Aquarius); and Vie Privée with Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country). Some of the aforementioned titles are vying for this year's SFF prize, in the competition's 17th year — where opening night's already-announced Together, a new body-horror by Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks (The Wizards of Aus) starring Alison Brie (Apples Never Fall) and Dave Franco (Love Lies Bleeding) is also in contention. A few movies that the festival announced back in April, when it started giving sneak peeks at its 2025 lineup, are equally on that category. Will DJ Ahmet, a Sundance-winner after collecting its World Cinema — Dramatic Audience Award, emerge victorious? Or will that honour go to 2025 Berlinale Grand Jury Prize-winner The Blue Trail? They're in the running, with The Narrow Road to the Deep North filmmaker Justin Kurzel, one of his recent stars in Thomas Weatherall, the latter's Heartbreak High co-star Rachel House, plus Hong Kong-based producer Winnie Tsang and Marrakech International Film Festival director Melita Toscan du Plantier all doing the judging. What features Tom Hiddleston's (Loki) newest performance as well, with The Life of Chuck directed by The Fall of the House of Usher's Mike Flanagan and based on a Stephen King novella? What also boasts Jacob Elordi (Oh, Canada), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Twisters) and Will Poulter (Warfare) in queer romance On Swift Horses, plus Richard Linklater's (Hit Man) Blue Moon with Ethan Hawke (Leave the World Behind), Margaret Qualley (The Substance) and Andrew Scott (Ripley) — alongside Carey Mulligan (Spaceman) in music-fuelled comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island, the Dylan O'Brien (Saturday Night)-led Twinless and Pike River with Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) getting its world premiere? This year's Sydney Film Festival. Which event is adding to its screening venues in 2025 in a spectacular way by showing films at Sydney Opera House, too? And which fest has 201 movies from 70 countries on its lineup, with 17 world premieres, six international premieres and 137 Australian premieres among them? The answer is still the same. How does long-term Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley characterise this year's program, the event's 72nd? "The 2025 Festival offers a bold and expansive view of cinema today, with films that confront the urgent realities of our world, while also revelling in the power of imagination and storytelling," he advises. "From astonishing Australian debuts to daring new works by global auteurs, this year's program is a celebration of creative risk, personal vision and artistic resilience. We invite audiences to explore this thrilling lineup, connect with filmmakers from around the world, and share in the transformative joy of cinema." Other 2025 highlights include Berlin's Golden Bear-winner Dreams (Sex Love); Aussie effort Death of an Undertaker, the directorial debut of actor Christian Byers (Bump), who uses an IRL Leichhardt funeral parlour as his setting; Dreams, with Jessica Chastain (Mothers' Instinct) reuniting with her Memory helmer Michel Franco; satire Kontinental '25, from Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World and Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn's Radu Jude; and What Does That Nature Say to You, the latest from South Korea's prolific Hong Sang-soo (In Our Day). Or, there's the near-future Tokyo-set Happyend, the Luca Guadagnino (Queer)-produced Nineteen, Tibetan-language anthology State of Statelessness (the first ever, in fact), Naomi Watts (Feud) and Bill Murray (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) in page-to-screen dramedy The Friend, Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar collaborator Kahlil Joseph's BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, and Vicky Krieps (The Dead Don't Hurt) and Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things) tackling grief and possession in Went Up the Hill. Among the standouts on the festival's documentary slate, Jennifer Peedom (River) turns her focus to the quest to make the world's deepest cave dive by Thai cave rescue hero Dr Richard Harris in Deeper, 20 Days in Mariupol's Mstyslav Chernov works bodycam footage from the Ukrainian frontline into 2000 Metres to Andriivka and All I Had Was Nothingness features unused material from iconic Holocaust documentary Shoah 40 years on. Plus, Floodland is focused on Lismore, Journey Home, David Gulpilil charts the iconic actor's journey to be laid to rest, Prime Minister shines a spotlight on Jacinda Ardern and trying to open a Tokyo restaurant is at the heart of Tokito: The 540-Day Journey of a Culinary Maverick. Fans of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, take note: it's up for discussion in Chain Reactions from Alexandre O Philippe (Lynch/Oz). If you miss the video-store era, Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell) understands, and has made Videoheaven about it — a film essay solely comprised from movie and TV clips. A New Leaf, The Heartbreak Kid, Mikey and Nicky and Ishtar director Elaine May earns SFF's second 2025 retrospective, while the fest's lineup of restored classics includes the Aussie likes of Muriel's Wedding, Somersault and Mullet, plus Angel's Egg from Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii. For viewers of all ages, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon is also on the program. SFF's 2025 announcements until now were already impressive, so there's not only more joining the above flicks courtesy of the full program — they already have great company. Barry Keoghan's (Bird) new Irish thriller Bring Them Down; the Australian premiere of homegrown animation Lesbian Space Princess; music documentaries One to One: John & Yoko and Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao e Rua — Two Worlds; Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door)- and Michael Shannon (The Bikeriders)-starring post-apocalyptic musical The End; intimacy coordinators getting the doco treatment; Ellis Park, about Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds collaborator, Dirty Three founder and frequent film-score composer Warren Ellis: they're on the lineup, too. So is the one-film movie marathon that is 14-hour picture Exergue — on documenta 14, which is set inside the 2017 edition of the documenta art exhibition in Germany and Greece. Audiences will watch it in four- to five-hour segments — because, if it wasn't already apparent, there's no such thing as too much time spent in a cinema at Sydney Film Festival. [caption id="attachment_1002690" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Christian Schulz/ Schrammfilm[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1002697" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1002698" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Greg Cotten[/caption] Sydney Film Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at cinemas across Sydney. Head to the festival website for further information and tickets.
Melbourne sneakerheads, get ready to geek out over some of the rarest sneakers, streetwear pieces and apparel on the market — because Australia's largest sneaker convention, Sneakerland, is coming to town. The event creates a huge space for all collectors, resellers, content creators and creatives, plus anyone who just loves sneakers. If you can't get enough kicks, you'll want to be there. On Saturday, November 19, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will be filled with over 3000 sneakers from different 52 vendors. Expect rare footwear including Jordan 1 OG Chicago (1985), Nike SB Dunk Low Paris and Nike Air Yeezy Red October. These shoes are ridiculously expensive, but we know some folks are willing to drop big bucks for the right pair. Expect hardcore sneaker lovers to be at Sneakerland, obviously. Come ready to fight over incredibly exclusive shoes and apparel. But this event isn't only for cashed up collectors. First off, there are stacks of more affordable sneakers available from both local and international sellers. And, the sneaker museum will be a huge drawcard — no matter your budget. Sneakerland will also feature a heap of entertainment, setting the vibe as you peruse — and maybe purchase — all that footwear. So, as well as live sneaker auctions, plus exclusive sneaker and streetwear drops, attendees will be able to get around some basketball competitions, try to win raffles and prizes, hit up the tattoo station and listen DJs. Guest appearances from local celebrities and sporting icons have also been promised, although further details haven't been revealed as yet. While general tickets cost $40, if you nab a VIP ticket for $100, you're in for some extra swag. You'll score early access to the event, food and drinks, and a private lounge to relax in. There'll also be special live auctions featuring the most sought-after items — so if you're looking to beat all others on the trading floor, this is likely for you. Sneakerland takes place on Saturday, November 19, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information, head to the event's website — with tickets on sale via Ticketmaster.
Bespoke butchers and bakeries aren't quite a dime a dozen in Melbourne just yet, but there's certainly no shortage of options when it comes to finding top-notch pastries or meat cuts within the city and the suburbs. Finding a quality boutique shop dedicated to seafood is much harder, which is exactly where this humble Nicholson Street store comes in. Taking over the space left behind when Canals Seafood shut up shop after 100 years of service, The Fishmonger's Son offers an abundance of freshly caught goodies sourced directly from the wholesale market each morning, plus preserved and pickled seafood delicacies. The son in question aims to provide a seafood deli with quality produce, service and advice, in honour of his late father, who supplied fresh fish to Melbourne retailer's from the Footscray Wholesale Market for 40 years. Images: Brook James.
Don't believe that boy bemoaning, loudly, the lack of live music venues in Sydney. There's no truth to that rumour. Dig a little deeper, kid, and you'll see there's a whole range of places out there. Choose your own adventure from Concrete Playground's list of favourite spots, featuring everything from long-term Sydney stalwarts to DIY new kids on the block. 1. The Enmore TheatreWhere: 118-132 Enmore Road, Enmore Undeniably Sydney's most beautiful theatre, the Enmore maintains an antique, old-world feel inside a contemporary venue. Built in 1908, this art deco theatre has gradually been transformed into the kind of luxury that is pure rock 'n' roll: band posters are plastered beneath luxurious chandeliers, drinks are purchased from a bar in the foyer, and the seats in the stalls are, depending on the occasion, removed to make way for standing room audiences. If the ambiance alone isn't enough to entice you, never fear: the Enmore plays host to some of the biggest acts to visit our shores. We're talking The Rolling Stones, Sonic Youth, Wu Tang Clan, The Pretenders, Grace Jones... The list goes on. And while the size and prestige of this place is strong enough to attract the big acts, the performance space remains cosy and intimate. The combination of the theatre's traditional acoustics and an immense front of house system also results in exceptional sound, making the Enmore one of Sydney's premier live venues. Click here for venue review and details. 2. The Red RattlerWhere: 6 Faversham Street, Marrickville A new arrival on the live music scene, the Red Rattler is a community-based venue and innovative arts space. It's a space determined to make a lot of noise, and is named for the old Red Rattler trains that did the same. Building on the shoulders of Sydney's infamous illegal warehouse scene (which many of these Rats were involved in), this is a completely legal venue that seems far too good to be true. It's an inspiring space that feels more like a home than a warehouse. Plush red velvet curtains, mismatched second-hand couches and an intimate, friendly atmosphere make a night spent at the Rattler completely unique. The fact that it's run by a collective of artists guarantees an exceptional spectrum of performers, with past highlights including The Church, Naked On The Vague and the High Reflections experimental music nights. Click here for review and details. 3. The Annandale HotelWhere: 17 Parramatta Road, Annandale This pub rock institution is the lifeblood of the Sydney music scene. A '30s Aussie pub, converted in the early '80s into a live music venue, the Annandale has long been the quintessential Australian rock venue. There's the distinct stench of blood, sweat and tears in the air to prove it. With a substantial stage and lighting rig, and a sound system perfectly worn in to the room, any Australian band worth their salt aspires to play here (or already has). A rite of passage for up and coming bands, a night at the Annandale is memorable for musicians and punters alike. And to help the memory factor, the paved courtyard behind the hotel hosts 'pub cha' every Saturday and Sunday, offering regular favourites as well as weekly specials. Click here for review and details. 4. GoodGodWhere: 53-55 Liverpool Street, Sydney This cosy danceteria is bursting at the seams with character: think walls covered with coloured tiles and wooden wagon wheels, mirror balls and bright disco lights, and a crowd that still manages to distract from the interior. The most important feature here is the dance floor, which I guarantee you'll find yourself carving up in no time at all. The music policy varies each night, so look to the website if it's live music that's your thing. Past favourites include Jack Ladder, La Mancha Negra, The Coolies and live karaoke (meaning you plus live band), run by Siberia Records. Click here for review and details. 5. 505Where: 280 Cleveland St, Surry Hills Spartan would be one word used to describe 505. You'd quite easily walk past its front when strolling down Cleveland Street without even glancing up, or knowing that behind a bland, unobtrusive door lies a music venue showcasing some very groovy up and coming Sydney talent. And not just that - it also hides a great place for a drink. While it's not somewhere that you'd visit if you were just after a quiet night out, if you like music with your beverage of choice then this is the place, though that does mean there's usually a cover charge in order to get in. Still, with an array of music to suit your appetite and the fact that it's an artist run space that brings local talent to the stage nearly every night of the week, 505 definitely deserves to not escape your notice. Click here for review and details. 6. The VanguardWhere: 42 King Street, Newtown While it might feel as if you've slid back into the '20s, this comfortably luxurious venue was in fact purpose built. Channeling New Orleans in the heart of Sydney, the Vanguard is a bohemian haven and a place to experience something a little bit different. The restaurant offers a mix of modern Australian and 'soul food', while the stage plays host to an eclectic range of musicians and performers. For those whose tastes lie in jazz and blues, cabaret and burlesque: you've found your man. Click here for review and details. 7. The Factory Theatre Where: 105 Victoria Road, Marrickville The intentions of this venue are clear: a bar, a wide open space (soon to be dance floor) and an empty stage. If you arrive early, it may all feel a little bare, but this only means more room for shenanigans later on. Live music is the core of the Factory's operation, with acts as diverse as Ratcat, the Herd, Holly Throsby and Jamie Lidell. There's plenty of other good options to look out for as well, as this venue also plays host to unique events like the Sydney Underground Film Festival. Click here for review and details. 8. The LansdowneWhere: the corner of City Road and Broadway, Sydney Previously better known for its $10 meals than its live music policy, the Lansdowne is an old pub that's making way for new music. The recently renovated band room is impressive, and now offers live music six nights in a typical week. What's even better is that all shows are free, with an impressive array of local bands on board. Recent shows have featured The Laurels, Dark Bells and Domeyko/Gonzalez. Plus, the cheap meals are still on offer in the cosy bistro upstairs. In other words, a win win situation. Click here for review and details. 9. Black Wire RecordsWhere: 219 Parramatta Road, Annandale If it's the underground you're seeking, this is where you'll find it. Technically a record store, Black Wire offers not only an impressive array of music to purchase but also an enviable dedication to showcasing live bands. Rough and ready is the rule, with bands setting up to play early evenings on the shop floor. All shows are cheap and all ages, providing a vital opportunity for everyone to access cult music. Recent performers have included Alps of New South Wales, Kirin J Callinan and Slug Guts. 10. Oxford Art FactoryWhere: 38-46 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst Perhaps one of the most ambitious venues to open in Sydney in recent years, the Oxford Art Factory is inspired by Andy Warhol's seminal Factory, and intends to operate as a focal point of music and the arts in Sydney. The main room caters to larger and international acts, such as The Dead Weather, Digitalism and Warpaint. The Gallery Bar showcases local acts, with a feature wall repainted frequently by guest artists. Between the two lies the Glass Cube, an exhibition space that regularly features live performance art. Click here for review and details.
With everyone spending our days, weeks and months inside due to COVID-19, we're all putting that extra time at home to good use in different ways. Perhaps you're streaming your way through anything and everything you can find. Maybe you're playing board games, doing jigsaws and building Lego. Or, you could be cooking up a storm, getting a workout or being practical by learning a new skill (or several). For many folks, home renovation is on the agenda — whether you're finally painting that wall, putting up that shelf, making over your garden or doing all the odd jobs around the place that you've been putting off for far too long. That means that Bunnings Warehouse has been mighty popular, and busy. And if you're eager to pick up hardware supplies while still maintaining social distancing requirements, you're now in luck. The chain has just implemented a new drive and collect service, which is available at 250 of Bunnings' larger stores around Australia — excluding Tasmania. The contactless option is an extension of its existing click and collect option, just adapted so that you don't have to get out of your car. DIY enthusiasts just need to complete their purchase online, wait for notification that their order is ready, and select their preferred pickup date and time. Then, when you drive to the store, you'll park in a designated drive and collect bay, and text or call the store to let them know you've arrived. All you need to do next is wait for a staff member to bring out your goods and put them in your car boot. [caption id="attachment_767993" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Bidgee via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Sadly, drive and collect doesn't apply to Bunnings' sausage sizzles, which have been suspended since mid-March in response to the coronavirus. Drive and collect isn't available at smaller Bunnings stores, so check online to see if your local warehouse is participating. For further information about Bunnings' click and collect service — or to place an order — visit the chain's website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
From Swan Street to Bridge Road and the boutiques buried throughout the backstreets of Cremorne, Richmond is recognised as a pretty fashionable area. Since 2009, Royal Order of Nothing has been contributing its fair share to the region's stylish reputation, stocking a cool collection of men's, women's and children's clothing, plus accessories and gifts. Located near the bustling junction of Church and Swan Streets, snag yourself a coffee at one of many nearby spots before heading into RON and searching through the range. With brands such as The Assembly Label, Elk, Brixton, Status Anxiety and Happy Socks to choose from, a visit to Royal Order of Nothing will quickly get your wardrobe updated for the new season. Images: Tracey Ah-kee.
Australia's human history makes for a dense history book, filled with highs and lows from tens of thousands of years of culture, war and identity recorded in words and stories alike. But what about the history before then? The millions of years that only survive by etchings and impressions in the rock? Australia's prehistoric past is filled with creatures you wouldn't believe, and they're the stars of the show in the first-ever Queensland Dinosaur Week. Queensland is home to many of Australia's paleontology sites, and a lot of what we know about the giants of the ancient land, seas and skies of our country comes from the dirt and stones of the north. So, to expand on the already-existing National Dinosaur Day, Dinosaur Experiences Australia is inviting Aussies to explore that history in full over the course of a week, Monday, May 4 to Sunday, May 10. Throughout the week, events will be hosted at museums, science centres and dig sites across the state, welcoming experts from the Australian paleontology community to share their knowledge of Australia's ancient history and its ongoing impact on us today. Choose from events like Dinosaurs After Dark at QLD Museum Kurilpa and seeing Australia's most important fossil finds in person — you can also venture into the outback and see the biggest bones in Australian history or become a volunteer fossil preparator to handle and prepare fossils (under supervision, of course). If you prefer a more choose-your-own-adventure-style itinerary, you can browse a number of pre-prepared road trip itineraries to visit Queensland's biggest and best fossil sites and most famous discoveries — such as the big seven. These fossils chart Queensland's history from the ancient Eromanga sea to coastal floodplains and ice-age riverlands that giant mammals and birds called home before humans hunted them to extinction. The legendary finds, scattered everywhere from Mt Isa to Eromanga, are among the largest and most fearsome animals ever to exist in the world, let alone Australia. They include Banjo, the most complete Australovenator (a vicious carnivore) to ever be discovered, Cooper the Australotitan, one of the biggest animals of all time, Krono, the killer king of Australia's Cretaceous-era seas, and the so-called demon ducks, giant flightless birds that lived just before the ice age. Whether you're planning on attending one of the many events or designing your own prehistoric adventure, Karen Hanna Miller, Executive Officer of Dinosaur Experiences Australia, says you'll see that "Queensland's fossil story is not complete. Every season, new finds reshape our understanding of ancient ecosystems and evolutionary changes. Visitors are not just observing history, they are stepping into a landscape where science is still unfolding." And as Dr Scott Hocknull, Principal Research Fellow in Applied Palaeontology & Palaeotourism at CQUniversity puts it, "When most Australians think of dinosaurs, they picture Hollywood blockbusters or far-flung fossil fields overseas. But if you want to stand where giants actually walked — or swam — you don't need a passport." Queensland Dinosaur Week runs from Monday, May 4 to Sunday, May 10. For more information, visit the website. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: supplied
Ikea may have been the brand on everybody's lips when they recently blessed Sydneysiders with a new store in Tempe, but the Swedish design giants are turning more heads with their latest advertising stunt in France. Ikea have built a whole apartment inside Auber subway station in Paris. Sitting at just 54 square metres, it is currently housing five people, who are staying there from January 9 to 15. The aim of the campaign is to show people how to use space effectively in their own homes with Ikea furnishings. With windows for communters to peer inside, they get a first-hand look at the inhabitants eating, sleeping and lounging away in the space, all with the help of Ikea's premium products. Apart from feeling sorry for the five people trying to sleep right next to the constant arrival and departure of passengers and trains, this is a great advertising stunt that fuses private and public spaces to spark customers' creativity within their own homes. Check out the apartment's construction and some of the reactions below. https://youtube.com/watch?v=oMEi9vzWdug
If you're the type of traveller who chooses their hotels for the perks and extra inclusions, then you might want to put Tasmania's newest place to stay on your radar. Mövenpick Hotel Hobart marks the Swiss brand's first site in Australia — and if either the chain's name or its country of origin have you thinking of sweet treats, yes, they're part of the hotel's offering. Between 4–5pm daily, Mövenpick Hotel Hobart celebrates chocolate hour. That's when you'll receive a free dessert — such as an eclair, brownie or truffle — when you purchase a chocolate-flavoured cocktail, mocktail or affogato. If you fancy tucking into something sweet at another time of day, you'll also be able to book in for a chocolate-tasting package. And, Mövenpick's hotels serve the brand's line of food and beverages, which means that Mövenpick ice cream is on the menu as well. One of more than 80 of the chain's sites worldwide, Mövenpick Hotel Hobart also boasts 221 guest rooms across levels three to 18 — because you need somewhere to enjoy its sweets. Located near the city's waterfront, the venue has been decked out with nature design-inspired interiors that take inspiration from Tasmania, with Jaws Architects doing the honours. Think: wall panelling, furniture, fabrics and colours that have all been selected to the local landscape. For guests in the mood for more than just chocolate, cocktails and ice cream, the hotel is home to Tesoro Modern Italian restaurant, and also has a big focus on nutritious breakfasts. You can start your day with a shot of juice or yoghurt blended with fresh fruit and vegetables, or with other health-focused dishes. Facilities-wise, there's also a function space that can cater for up to 100 people and a gym — and, inside some guest rooms, you'll be treated to panoramic views over Hobart, too. Find Mövenpick Hotel Hobart at 28 Elizabeth Street, Hobart — and head to the chain's website for bookings and other information.
If you cast your mind back far enough, you might be able to remember a time when Tazos, Gameboys and the temperamental Tamagotchi reigned supreme, when a sherbet bomb or a Spice Girls playing card was the most respected form of social currency, the term 'apple' still referred to a fruit, bucket hats were cool in a non-ironic way and, most importantly, reading was exciting. It was an illicit and novel (mind the pun) activity, best carried out with the aid of a night light or torch after 8.30pm on a school night. It seemed the most pressing matter in the world was knowing what happened The Day My Bum Went Psycho and Andy Griffiths was the only one with the power to tell you, one five-page, giant-font-sized chapter at a time. No Mum, this could not wait until tomorrow morning. When the lunch orders, political games of four square and designated readers of primary school gave way to the cafeteria, MSN and condom-on-banana era of high school, English class filled the book-shaped void of childhood for many. If, like me, you were lucky enough to be graced by a literature teacher with an uncanny physical and temperamental resemblance to Miss Honey (if you don't get that reference, you’re reading the wrong article), a lifelong love of books was at this point cemented, as definitive as carefully scripted calligraphy on paper, preferably penned with the aid of a feather and pot of ink. As an adult sans parents, you are free to stay up as late as you want, poring over Hemingway, Bronte, Austen and… E.L. James. The only problem is, beyond a questionable internet forum of Pride and Prejudice enthusiasts who like to discuss Mr Darcy via webcam whilst simultaneously coiling their hair in rags to get into character (this is a very real phenomenon), it is difficult to find likeminded individuals with whom you can debate and pick apart the bitter lows and dizzying heights of your favourite protagonists before assigning each fictional character to a member of your friendship group and yourself. (Duh, of course you're Jane Eyre, except way prettier.) Enter the book club — not half as cringe worthy as a knitting group, less tragic than ballet classes for grown ups and offering similar potential for romance as speed dating, minus the unmistakeable whiff of desperation, they might just be the next big nostalgic hipster trend. You heard it here first. Courtesy of Laneway Learning's Book Club for Beginners class, led by self-confessed book nut Nicola (this woman once faked the death of a book club before reforming it, sans underperforming members, read: book clubs are her crack), here are the most important things to remember when starting, or attending, the intellectual's equivalent of the discotheque. Read the book — this one seems obvious, but in the excitement of choosing which spectacles to wear and what snack to bring in order to show everyone else up, it is often overlooked. Sparknotes don’t count. You’re only cheating yourself. Don't talk too much, nor too little. Just like Goldilocks, it's important to find the right balance between assuming the role of annoying know it all, unnecessarily referencing vaguely relevant high-literature to assert your intellect and the dreaded mute, offering nothing but unrelated everyday banter that has no place in book club. Which is a more serious offence, I cannot decide. If you're organising the book club, now is the time assume dictator-like authority. Book club is not a democracy — the instigator has the final word on location, reading list, members and snacks. The only thing up for discussion is the actual text and if you choose the right books, that should be more than enough to handle. Nicola regaled us with her one recorded observation of a book to the face — choose your members wisely, preferably without a history of violent paper-related assault, or it might not be the last. To theme or not to theme? This really is the eternal question. Opting to do so allows one to narrow down membership based on shared interest, whilst opening up the reading list to eclectic liquorice all-sorts exponentially increases the chance of discovering untapped passions, in the kind of magical way that can only take place from the comfort of one's lounge room, cup of Milo and paperback in hand. If you do decide to theme, examples include 'Dystopian' (1984 by George Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and, The Passage by Justin Cronin), a theme which lends itself well to aluminium foil costumes and space cakes for afters, or my personal favourite, 'Mad Women' (The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys). That one's best served with a side of your head in the oven. The last and most important rule of book club? You don't talk about book club. Because, well, they'll never understand. Image via hotgirlsreadingbooks.tumblr.com
Though technically a pop-up, Miss Katie's Crab Shack has won itself a pretty permanent place in Melbourne's collective hearts, currently enjoying a third kitchen residency, at Ding Dong Lounge in the heart of Chinatown. And if there's any feast primed for spring evenings, it's Katie's Southern-style menu of crab, fried chicken and seafood-heavy snacks. Get in early to kick things off with a few $1 oysters (5–6pm), then don your plastic bib and dig right in to one of the signature crab boils, loaded up with your pick of seafood, chorizo, corn, potato and buttery goodness.
Between Thursday, December 8–Wednesday, December 14, Palace Cinemas is giving movie buffs in Melbourne an extra present. 'Tis the season, after all. It's not just the gift of great flicks — that is, the chain's daily bread and butter — but the gift of cheap great flicks. The one catch: you need to be a Palace Movie Club member. Head to the company's venues around the city — so at Pentridge, Brighton Bay, Westgarth, Balwyn, Como and The Kino — across the week in question, and you'll only pay $8 to see a film. Haven't yet seen Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Bros, Don't Worry Darling or Top Gun: Maverick yet? Catching up will cost you $8. Keen to check out Decision to Leave, Bones and All, She Said, The Menu, Seriously Red, Violent Night, The Velvet Queen and Armageddon Time? Also $8. We'd keep naming movies, but you get the picture. Booking in advance is highly recommended, given how much everyone loves going to the flicks for little more than the price of a cup of coffee. If you do nab your tickets online, you will have to add a transaction fee to the cost. You won't be able to use the $8 deal on special events and film festivals, or on two-for-one offers and other deals — but you've now got plenty of movies to see for cheap.
Earlier this year, Mondrian Hotels launched its debut Australian stay just steps from the iconic Burleigh Heads beachfront. And like its other design-first accommodation, spanning glam locations from Los Angeles to Cannes to Seoul, the Aussie foray brought wall-to-wall luxury brimming with natural light, million-dollar views and a calming neutral colour palette. Now Modrian has opened reservations for its two highly anticipated Beach Houses. Following a similar rhythm to the hotel towers, this addition offers something of a residential experience (if you could imagine being so lucky), just with the service and amenities of a world-class hotel. Guided by acclaimed Los Angeles–based designers, Studio Carter, guests can expect privacy, luxury and bespoke hospitality. Across two- and three-bedroom stays, you can live out the beachfront lifestyle of your dreams. Accessed through private entrances, both through the hotel lobby or off the esplanade, these homes away from home come complete with magnesium plunge pools, terraces primed for entertaining, convenient laundry facilities and seamless indoor-outdoor living spaces that invite the Gold Coast warmth. Meanwhile, a full-sized kitchen enhances the long-stay appeal while bringing another level of residential comfort. The smaller details are just as impressive. Think sandy-toned interiors that reflect the laidback essence of the hotel and relaxed textural finishes inspired by coastal life. In fact, those seeking the most opulent stay can combine both residences into a five-bedroom retreat, perfect for big family vacations or celebrations with all your pals. Of course, a five-star stay like this also comes with plenty of guest perks. That includes expedited in-suite check-in, a curated gourmet welcome basket and a personal host and contact throughout your stay. Plus, you'll relish a daily à la carte breakfast at LiTO, the in-house Italian restaurant, and make the most of personalised experiences, from private chefs cooking up a feast to spa and beauty appointments, VIP restaurant and bar reservations, shopping services and more. Naturally, you're also welcome to enjoy the rest of the hotel's amenities. Step into Haven, serving elevated coastal cuisine, or slide into the Ciel Spa for holistic remedies and a high-performance gym. When it's time to explore beyond the hotel, the stunning stretch of Burleigh Heads is directly across from your accom, while the suburb's easy-breezy restaurants, bars and shops are just a few steps away. Mondrian Gold Coast's Beach Houses are now open for bookings at 3 First Ave, Burleigh Heads. Visit the website for more information. Images: Justin Nicholas.
You could be forgiven for initially thinking that Chris Jordan's collections of digital photographs were nothing more than faded photos of iconic pieces of art. But on closer inspection, Jordan's photo of Botticelli's The Birth of Venus is actually made up of very small images. On even closer inspection, those very small images are actually plastic bags. The work is accompanied with this description: 'Depicts 240,000 plastic bags, equal to the estimated number of plastic bags consumed around the world every ten seconds'. Jordan's photos are made up of images of everyday items we consume everyday. Or, rather, we overconsume everyday. Some pretty scary statistics about consumption become the starting point for both his idea and the composition of the photo. And so it follows that Jordan's photo of Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Tatte is actually made up of images of 400,000 plastic bottle caps. His take on Van Gogh is made up of images of plastic lighters. Jordon also also creates his own images; a bust made up of 32,000 images of Barbie dolls - equal to the number of elective breast augmentation surgeries performed monthly in the US in 2006 - and a moon made up of 29,000 credit cards - the amount of personal bankruptcy filings every week in the US in 2010 - also feature in the collection. https://youtube.com/watch?v=f09lQ8Q1iKE
Melbourne is consistently voted the world's most liveable city, and it's not just because of the obvious tourist destinations, award-winning restaurants and laneway coffee culture. Melbourne is an onion city — it has layers. One of the best parts of living here is the culinary gems you find hidden away across all corners of the city. And our reputation as a foodie city is by no means concentrated to the CBD. In fact, out in the 'burbs, where the rent is cheap and the people are hungry, you'll find some of the most experimental, underground and downright weird cafes. And with Melbourne's extensive bus network on hand, nowhere is off-limits to the enterprising foodie. Think of your myki as a passport to gastronomic delight in the quieter corners of our fair city. We've been exploring Melbourne's east to bring you a list of easy and amazing cafes, all accessible via the bus network. CHURCH OF SECULAR COFFEE Monash Uni is worth a bus trip on the 742 to check out the leafy campus and its glorious space-aged architecture. But the campus itself is also chock-full of cafes (gotta keep students caffeinated to get through those all-nighters) and the Church of Secular Coffee is undoubtedly the best one. (It's no wonder — it being part of the popular coffee-roasting St Ali family and all.) As well as serving up their house-roasted coffee, it also has a weird and wonderful menu of what we like to call 'high-art concept breakfast' ideas. There's brioche french toast served with a mulled wine glaze and vanilla mascarpone ($16.50) and 'sweet potato toast' made up of a slice of roasted sweet potato, smothered in smashed peas and almond feta, and sprinkled with sunflower and pumpkin seeds, quinoa flakes and pomegranate ($14.50). Trust us — you'll want to be spending your Sundays in prayer at the Church of Secular Coffee. 38 Exhibition Walk, Clayton. REUNION CAFE Both the Box Hill Bus (284) and the 612 bus will drop you just down the road from this sweet cafe — just make sure you come with a monster appetite to defeat its portions. The menu is two parts traditional to one part experimental, with jazzed-up cafe mainstays using local and regional produce and unlikely flavour combinations. We recommend the zucchini, cauliflower and amaranth fritters with eggplant kasundi and greens ($18.50). Or, for the sweetest of teeth, try the simple apple and chia muesli with lemon curd labna, strawberry coulis and fresh apple ($15). Pair it all with a freshly squeezed juice or smoothie, and you'll be laughing all the way back to the CBD. 160 Union Road, Surrey Hills. MR HENDRICKS It may be bold to say, but it's cafes like Mr Hendricks that make the home-ownership dream a reality for our food-obsessed generation. Why rent forever in the inner city when the outer suburbs have cafes like this? Mr Hendricks is a trendy and exciting cafe-coffeehouse on Whitehorse Road in Balwyn, and it's well-serviced by a number of popular bus lines with stops on Union Road just a short walk away. The menu doesn't play by the rules, so don't expect a traditional cafe experience. (It also may help lure you out to the 'burbs, but its prices won't necessarily help you save up for that home ownership.) We recommend the indulgent crispy eggs dish, a reimagining of your traditional brekkie, with sweet potato puree, smoked ham hock, baby cos, bacon crumb and ranch dressing of sourdough ($20). The soft shell crab roll is excellent too, served with cabbage, cucumber and Thai dressing on a charcoal bun ($23). And the best part? The cafe fully licensed. Breakfast bloody mary, anyone? 468 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn. AURA CAFE Hidden out in Lower Templestowe on the 907/908 bus line is Aura Cafe, an unassuming little eatery that cooks up meals that look more like art. The broad menu is what you'd expect from a friendly neighbourhood cafe (think various smashes, bowls and brekkies of varying bigness) but damn, they know how to plate up. Do not forget your phone when you head out to Aura because you're going to want to document this. We recommend the corn fritters with smashed avo, feta, bacon and egg ($18.90) or the French toast for maximum aesthetic (and flavoursome) delight. 401/200 High Street, Lower Templestowe. 929 CAFE 929 Cafe, conveniently located directly on the 766 bus line, is an experimental newcomer on the scene but has been getting rave reviews for both food and service. The menu here puts an Asian twist on Mediterranean food (a unique combo). And while it does serve up some more demure breakfast dishes, why would you bother with those when you can get carrot kataifi pastry with whipped feta and black garlic dressing ($17.50) or the cream cheese pancake garnished with pistachio and fresh fig ($13.50)? When we say experimental, we mean experimental. It's a testament to Melbourne's diverse cafe scene that boldness, weirdness and culinary innovation crop up all over the city — all you need to know is how to get there. 929 Riversdale Road, Surrey Hills. Jump on a bus headed toward Melbourne's eastern suburbs to explore more of the area. Find your best route here.
Darling Group is best known for opening and acquiring some of Melbourne's top cafes (Higher Ground, Top Paddock, The Terrace, Kettle Black), while recently branching out into the restaurant scene (Token and Stringers). Like many of the larger hospitality groups in Melbourne, the Darling Group continues to expand (even if the industry is struggling right now). Most recently, it opened Cheri — a new all-day eatery located right across from South Melbourne Market — on Wednesday, November 6. Cheri has taken over neighbouring sites Bibelot and Chez Dre, transforming them into one huge 150-seat venue that's open from 7am–5pm every day of the week. Darling Group's Executive Pastry Chef Michael Germanos is making sure Cheri is home to incredible pastries, cakes and bread, made on-site every morning to be exclusively sold here and across all of Darling Group's other venues. Expect an expansive collection of sweet and savoury croissants, classic eclairs, small and large tarts and cakes, sourdough loaves, baguettes, piadinas and focaccia sandwiches. It's giving full bakery energy throughout the morning, while also serving up an all-day dining menu that covers most of your breakfast and lunch bases. Brekkie bites include polenta porridge with confit spiced dates, mandarin, creme fraiche, cinnamon and pistachios; croissant loaf french toast with maple syrup and cultured butter; eggs benedict served on a croissant wheel; and a lamb merguez fry-up with poached eggs, za'atar yogurt, preserved lemon, mint and pita bread. This is a stacked morning menu that reads like those at Melbourne's best breakfast spots. For lunch, you've got ricotta gnocchi with pancetta, broad bean leaf verde, spring peas, stracciatella and green onion oil; chicken cotoletta with sprouting broccoli leaves, asparagus and cafe de Paris sauce; and seven different pizzas made with 72-hour fermented dough. Pair this all with some signature cocktails — you can never go wrong with a cheeky bloody mary — teas, shakes, sodas, and a decadent Cheri hot chocolate made with milk chocolate, whipped cream and crema di pistachio. You can drop by this spot for a quick takeaway pastry and coffee, or choose to sit in the main dining room or 50-person courtyard — when the sun is shining. We have high expectations for Cheri, not only because Darling Group has proven it knows how to cafe, but because this food menu sounds like an absolute banger. Cheri — located at 285-287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne — is open from 7am–5pm daily. For more information, check out the venue's website. Images: Julian Lallo.
Mirek Aldridge is one of a new breed of indie brewers: a ragtag bunch of beer nerds, home brew and craft enthusiasts whose love for beer has driven them toward turning pro. But brewing independently needn't mean recklessly. A vintage arcade machine sits in the corner. "I bought it from America, 10 years ago," says Aldridge, which was roughly around the same time he began home brewing. He'd bought the machine to one day go in his bar. "It actually came with a stack of quarters and a bible stashed inside of it, which was pretty weird." In the corner opposite, hidden behind a row of shiny chrome fermenters, is Aldridge's old 70-litre all-grain home brewing kit. All of the recipes being brewed at The Mill Brewery, Aldridge's first venture into commercial brewing, were captured initially on this 70-litre system. It's no match for the 600-litre system he's brewing on now and which dominates the rear third of the bar and brewery, but it's the perfect size to test out a new batch or to brew a limited one-off keg. "Because we're so small it makes it hard to lock in contracts," says Aldridge. "We're not asking for 100 kilograms of hops at a time, we're asking for maybe five kilograms. But in saying that, it opens up opportunities for us to go and talk to hop growers directly and actually go out to the hop farms and pick our own hops." The Mill will be running up to eight taps in total but to start with, Aldrige intends to keep things simple. Three taps pouring an American-styled pale ale, a black Indian pale ale and a vanilla porter will round out the offering in addition to another guest beer tap and a cider tap. Just as much attention has been poured over the wine list which features a bold selection of Victorian varietals, a Pinot Noir from New Zealand's North Canterbury, a Barossa GSM and Canberran cool climate Shiraz. The Mill, from the homemade red gum tables to the self-confessed obsession with hops and aromatics, has been a lifelong labour for Aldridge. The Mill is pet-friendly and will be serviced by a roster of food trucks on launching. Images: Nic Allchin.
Besides the lamington, fairy bread and the democracy sausage, the humble meat pie is as close to a national dish as Australia can claim. With an obligatory slather of ketchup, the classic Four and Twenty is a faithful hunger buster at the footy, but chefs across the country have also sought to elevate this faithful snack, lofting it from simple grab-and-go grub to a thing of culinary beauty. To celebrate this gourmet glow-up, The Great Aussie Pie Competition, now in its 35th year, searches the country for pie perfection. At an event held in Melbourne between September 2–5, over 1500 pies vied for the title of Australia's best as 16 of the nation's "most dedicated pie connoisseurs" considered the colour, flavour, size, pastry and finesse of the meat-filled morsels in the running. In addition to bragging rights and eternal glory, competing bakers were also battling it out for more than $30,000 worth of prize money spread across the competition's various categories. Much to the delight of the local crowd, Victoria's Buddy's Bakery in Melton took out the top spot in the coveted Best Plain Meat Pie category, beating Four Seasons Patisserie and Bakery in High Wycombe, WA, which took home the sliver. However, Western Australians still have plenty to be proud of, with the state racking up the most awards with a haul of seven gongs including a win for Four Seasons Patisserie and Bakery in the Best Apple Pie category. In addition to the top honours, Victoria earned another four awards, while New South Wales took home four awards, including Best Gourmet Sausage Roll, Best Slow Cooked BBQ Pie, Best Vegan or Vegetarian Pie and Best Gluten-Free Pie. Meanwhile, South Australia took home three awards and Queensland, just a single laurel. The Winners of The Great Aussie Pie Competition Plain Meat Pie: Buddy Bakery in Melton, Vic. Runner-up: Four Seasons Patisserie & Bakery in High Wycombe, WA Gourmet Pie: Jack's Bakery in Halls Head, WA Plain Sausage Roll: Orange Spot Bakery in Glenelg, SA Gourmet Sausage Roll: Orange Pie Company in Orange, NSW Pastie: Orange Spot Bakery in Glenelg, SA Tom Lindsay Pepper Steak Pie Award: Country Cob Bakery in Springvale, Vic Apprentice Category (Pepper Steak Pie): Sam Anderson from Rolling Pin Pies & Cakes in Ocean Grove, Vic Shepherd's / Potato Top Pie: Jack's Bakery in Halls Head, WA Slow Cooked BBQ Pie: Forster Bakehouse in Forster, NSW Game Pie: Paradise Bakehouse in Bundaberg, Qld Poultry Pie: Country Cob Bakery in Springvale, Vic Red Meat Pie: Jack's Bakery in Halls Head, WA Vegetarian/Vegan Pie: Forster Bakehouse in Forster, NSW Pork Pie: Four Seasons Patisserie & Bakery in High Wycombe, WA Seafood Pie: The Little Red Grape in Sevenhill, SA Apple Pie: Four Seasons Patisserie & Bakery in High Wycombe, WA Brekkie Pie: Jack's Bakery in Halls Head, WA Gluten Free Pie: Heatherbrae Pies Ourimbah in Ourimbah, NSW Gluten Free Sausage Roll: Jojo's Gluten Free Goodies in Kernot, Vic For a full list of all the nominated bakeries and their placings, visit The Great Aussie Pie Competition website. Top image: Jelleke Vanooteghem
Few cocktails have the staying power of the negroni. It's bitter, bold and perfectly balanced. Made with equal parts Campari, gin, and vermouth, the apéritif is a fixture on many Melbourne menus. While some bartenders swear by keeping it classic, in true Melbourne style, there are several spin-offs across the city that shake up the Italian icon. This September marks Negroni Month. It's four weeks of national celebrations (because there's no negroni without Campari), featuring rooftop parties, bar takeovers, and negroni-obsessed menus. From a $105 tableside service to the stalwart served in CBD restaurants, ahead of Negroni Month, we've rounded up the city's best negronis. Above Board Above Board Hidden one floor above Smith Street, this tiny cocktail bar has earned numerous awards and accolades, including Concrete Playground's Best Bars in Melbourne in 2023. It's no surprise then that its negroni is a must-try. The intimate 12-seater bar offers an elevated experience and world-class service. Its classic negroni is poured with precision and served in solid glassware with a giant ice cube to create a perfectly cool cocktail. [caption id="attachment_936276" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Johnny's Green Room[/caption] Johnny's Green Room Described as a southern twist on the Italian icon, the Arancia Rossa Negroni at Johnny's Green Room is worth the hype. Crafted with blood orange gin and Campari, this negroni is perfect for sipping on a spring afternoon as you watch the sun set over the city. On Sunday, September 14, Johnny's Green Room is hosting a Negroni Month event titled 'Johnny's Sunday Service' where you can dance to Kuzco, who'll be spinning decks, enjoy food by chef Mischa Tropp (of The Toddy Shop) and peruse the Campari-inspired menu. [caption id="attachment_819113" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Tom Blachford[/caption] Society Lounge Chris Lucas' Society Lounge bar on Collins Street sports timeless and dramatic aesthetics. The theatre doesn't just stop at the interiors. Society Lounge bar is home to one of Melbourne's most decadent negronis: the Vintage Bianco Negroni. Featuring 1960s Campari cordial, 19502 Suze, 1970s Gordons Dry Gin and Carpano Bianco, this negroni is made tableside and will set you back $105. The reason for the high price tag is the use of a rare (and now discontinued) raspberry distillate liqueur. If you're a negroni fan, it's a must-try bucket list experience. [caption id="attachment_921864" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Frederic[/caption] Fred's Bar Cremorne's Frederic is all about French classics, but head next door to Fred's Bar, and you'll find an Italian negroni—the ultimate after-work pick-me-up. The team rotate the menu seasonally, but you can guarantee that whether summer or winter-inspired, the negroni will be strong and stiff. Crafted with Campari and gin, Fred's negroni is the perfect apéritif to sip alone at the bar or with friends on the sunshine-drenched footpath. [caption id="attachment_854879" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Heartbreaker[/caption] Heartbreaker If you love a strong and bitter Campari, this is the bar for you. American-style dive bar Heartbreaker serves rock 'n'roll energy until late into the night (or, morning). This high-octane energy is felt in its drinks menu. Heartbreaker has four pre-batched cocktails to choose from, one of which is the negroni. Don't let the 'pre-batched' label scare you off though. The cocktails are still packing a punch and don't compromise taste for time. [caption id="attachment_1020308" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Grossi Florentino[/caption] Grossi Florentino This Italian institution is a 'must try' for negroni lovers. Made with Barolo Chinato, Malfy gin and Campari, the house negroni at Bourke Street stalwart, Grossi Florentino, is sure to scratch your bitter-loving itch. The restaurant has been setting the standard for Italian dining in Melbourne for close to a century, which means that the timeless menu pairs perfectly with a classic apéritif. [caption id="attachment_1019843" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Black Pearl[/caption] Black Pearl A Fitzroy favourite, Black Pearl is a bartender's bar. This means they can make a mean negroni. The Merri Negroni is mixed with Campari, gin, Americano vermouth and curacao, creating a cocktail that doesn't disappoint. For Negroni Month, the team is flexing their bartending skills with a curated negroni menu that pushes the classic's boundaries while keeping Campari front and centre. Head to the Brunswick Street bar this September to try it for yourself. [caption id="attachment_1020309" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Code Black Coffee[/caption] Code Black Flinders Lane What's a Melbourne recommendation without some coffee? At Code Black in Flinders Lane, they serve a negroni with a caffeinated twist. Aptly named the Coffee Negroni, it features coffee-infused Campari (yes, it's a thing), gin, and vermouth. If you love beans and bitters, this Melbourne cafe should go to the top of your list this Negroni Month. Whether you're a hardcore bitters lover or are dabbling in the Italian apéritif, Negroni Month is your excuse to round up the crew and cheers to the classic cocktail. See which Melbourne venues are serving curated negroni menus this September here. Please remember to drinkwise.
In the lead-up to new Hollywood-set satire The Studio premiering its first season on Apple TV+, the streaming platform kept doing something that's a well-established element of the entertainment industry: name-dropping. This is the latest project from long-time collaborators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg after Superbad, Pineapple Express, This Is the End, Bad Neighbours and its sequel, The Interview, The Night Before and plenty more, with the pair co-creating, co-writing, co-directing and executive producing the series. Rogen (Mufasa: The Lion King) stars, with Catherine O'Hara (The Wild Robot), Ike Barinholtz (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Kathryn Hahn (Agatha All Along) and Chase Sui Wonders (City on Fire) rounding out the main cast. That's a starry group already. Across two trailers, however, a heap of guest parts and cameos were revealed — including for Bryan Cranston (Argylle), Zoë Kravitz (Blink Twice), Paul Dano (Fantasmas), Olivia Wilde (Don't Worry Darling), Charlize Theron (Fast X), Anthony Mackie (Captain America: Brave New World), Zac Efron (A Family Affair), Sarah Polley (Women Talking) Greta Lee (Past Lives), Ice Cube (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem), Rebecca Hall (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire), Adam Scott (Severance), Ron Howard (Jim Henson Idea Man) and Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon). A few days before the show's Wednesday, March 26, 2025 debut Down Under, the full list of well-known talents appearing on-screen arrived. Dave Franco (Love Lies Bleeding), Jean Smart (Hacks), Johnny Knoxville (The Luckiest Man in America), Josh Hutcherson (The Beekeeper), Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Ramy Youssef (Poor Things), Steve Buscemi (Transformers One), Zack Snyder (Rebel Moon), Aaron Sorkin (Being the Ricardos) and Parker Finn (Smile and Smile 2) are among them, too. It's clear through the roster of names, in The Studio's ten-part initial season itself, and from talking with a number of the show's cast and guiding forces: this is a series with the utmost of love for the art of making pictures, even as it savvily pokes fun at the whole business around movies. The task that Rogen and Goldberg have set themselves, and achieve winningly, is anchoring the act of parodying Tinseltown with details drawn from real-life experiences, assistance from that enviable lineup of Hollywood folks joining in and a celebratory insider spirit. Rogen plays Matt Remick, a film executive who has only ever wanted one job: to run the fictional Continental Studios. It doesn't take long for that dream to come true, or for the character to realise what being a studio head truly means. "I got into this because I love movies. But now I have this fear that my job is to ruin them," he tells his mentor and predecessor Patty Leigh (O'Hara). That line is indicative of The Studio's knack for turning reality into astute, acerbic but affectionate viewing — Rogen and Goldberg once heard it themselves, uttered by an IRL executive. "They're all really close to our experience in some way, shape or form," James Weaver — who co-runs Point Grey Pictures, the production company behind The Studio, with Rogen and Goldberg — tells Concrete Playground about the link between the series' characters and scenarios and actuality. That said, the team's own interactions across their careers were just the beginning. "We met with a lot of people in the industry who are friends of ours, who had run studios, et cetera, and tried to mine their experience for when we're not around. What do they say behind closed doors? And so I think we tried to have an understanding of what those conversations were like." Personal inspiration remains key across the show, though. "Giving a note to a filmmaker that you really respect, and a note that you know is not going to be popular, is something we've definitely had to do," Weaver continues. That 'been there, felt that' vibe is also crucial to the search for validation at the heart of The Studio. Everyone wants it, executives and megastars alike, whether by getting a gig, having their ideas heard, making a hit, leaving a legacy, winning awards, being thanked in public or being seen to have a worthy job. "Wanting to be thanked at an award show because that's the only evidence that you did anything on it is something that we've seen as well," Weaver advises. "I think we're hoping that that's coming through, that the authenticity of our experience is in the show, and that's partially, I think, what people seem to be liking." In Matt's Continental team, three fellow studio employees are rarely far from his side: Barinholtz's Sal Seperstein, another seasoned executive; Hahn's Maya Mason, the company's marketing head; and Wonders' Quinn Hackett, an up-and-comer. From their respective time in the business, each is familiar with the types of characters that they're portraying — and that knowledge played a part in their performances, sometimes directly and sometimes in a more general sense. "A lot of studio executives I've worked with over the years, some great, some not so great, but I pulled little moments from a lot of them and put them into Sal," Barinholtz notes. "I have not one specific person. What they wrote was what I basically followed. But as I was putting the costumes on, there's definitely some humans, one could say," Hahn says. For Wonders, "my best friend is an assistant to a director, and she is someone who's very precocious, very ready to take over the world, but definitely has to earn her stripes and bide her time, and I think lots of young, ambitious people can relate to that. So that's one person I had in mind." As Continental's execs weather everything from endeavouring to capitalise upon the intellectual property-driven movie trend by making a Kool-Aid flick to attempting to capture an expensive golden-hour one-take shot — plus missing footage, casting conundrums, trailer scandals, the Golden Globes and annual US movie theatre-owner convention CinemaCon — chaos is their baseline. Still, Wonders also sees the series as having "a big sense that if you love what you do and you do it with integrity, as sappy as that is, there is going to be something in it for you, some sort of goodwill that comes your way. I feel like these characters find they have sad lives where they just are so dedicated to this one thing, and at the end of the day they kind of find their family. So that's a nice universal message". [caption id="attachment_997078" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty Images.[/caption] And that oner? It isn't just a focus of a storyline within the show; long takes are also part of its own style. "It felt like every scene was a play, like you're doing a different play every scene — and just once you got dialled in, once we rehearsed and you knew what you were doing, it was really exhilarating to be in that zone," Barinholtz shares. "It's definitely more challenging, but then it's amazing how much you can accomplish," adds Hahn. "There's something heightened about doing it as a oner that I really, really love." We also chatted with Goldberg, Weaver, Barinholtz, Hahn and Wonders about the love that's baked into The Studio, that search for recognition that drives its characters, ensuring that the series is relatable far beyond Hollywood insiders, its visual approach, those cameos and more — including how Barinholtz and Hahn's past TV comedy roles on recent greats such as The Mindy Project, Parks and Recreation and The Afterparty came in handy. On How Everything in the Series, Jokes and Cameos Included, Filters Through the Show's Love for the Film Industry James: "At the beginning of the show, we really knew that this was going to be about having a show about how we love making movies. So I think it comes through the lens of that, everything that happens. So in terms of making jokes about A24 or some of the other companies that are in there, we've made movies with A24. They're great people. They do incredible work. And so I think the entire show is about our experience in Hollywood for the last 15 years, and I think we're trying to bring some truth and some sense of 'this is how it is', but also all through the lens of humour and fun. As far as the cameos, each of them came about in different ways. Some of them are people we've worked with in the past. Some people like Martin Scorsese or Zoë Kravitz, we met for the first time — and either through the script that Seth and Evan had written or through meetings, we talked to them about how we wanted to portray them in the show. And they were really excited and game. There is a history, whether it be The Player or The Larry Sanders Show, of Hollywood satirising itself. And so that was something that people understood, what we were going for, and people were really trusting and excited to be there. I think that we're not necessarily worried that people are going to see the show as some sort of takedown of Hollywood, because we love Hollywood and we love the fact that we get to make movies. It really is more of a presentation of our experience through the comedic lens than it is any takedown of the industry." On Barinholtz, Hahn and Wonders' First Impressions When The Studio Came Their Way Kathryn: "I mean, just to hear that these humans were involved. And I've never really worked with Seth and Evan together. And just the writing of it was just hilarious. And to think of these humans in those parts was really exciting. I couldn't wait to jump in." Chase: "They're telling very risky jokes, and I remember reading them on the page and thinking 'this is something I've heard behind closed doors, but never on television for all eternity'. So it's always good when you feel like you're doing something that's pushing boundaries." Ike: "I remember Seth called me and said 'hey, we're writing ...'. And I said 'I'm in'. And he said 'it's a show about Hollywood'. I said 'I'm in'. And he said 'Catherine O'Hara is going to be in it'. I said 'I'm in. I'm already in.'. It was the world's easiest 'yes'. It was just literally the world and the writing, and having them and Catherine — and Bryan Cranston, who is in really good physical shape. Beautiful body. It was the world's fastest and easiest 'yes'." On the Search for Validation That's at the Heart of the Show Evan: "I would say the nice thing about that element of the series is we set out not to make an aspirational version of Hollywood, but to make a real version of Hollywood. And that is the real version of Hollywood. People are very cynical and all that in the world today, but Hollywood is mostly people who are wildly passionate, care deeply and would rather do this than anything else in the world — no matter how high or low they are on the totem pole of success. People just are passionate in a way that most industries aren't. And so we get to tap into those hopes and dreams in making the show, merely by trying to replicate the real experiences we've had. And, of course, it doesn't always work out for people, and sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't, but the passion is the thing that bleeds through it all." On the Importance of Balancing Satire and Affection for the Cast — and the Fact That The Studio Takes the Art of Filmmaking Very Seriously Chase: "I think it's important. And one thing Seth and Evan really tried to hit is the realism of the comedy, and comedy born of situations where people are just trying their hardest and it's just these doofuses who can't quite get it right. It also helps when our production design is impeccable, the way we filmed it is so high-level and it just naturally lends itself to a more elevated, smart type of comedy than just a slapstick sort of thing." Kathryn: "Because everything is so elevated, you really feel a certain responsibility to uphold the world around you and the filmmaking around you. And there is less opportunity for hamming around. So everything feels very focused in a way that keeps the energy legit and high and focused." Ike: "Could not say it better than they just did, so I won't." [caption id="attachment_997090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty Images.[/caption] On How Barinholtz and Hahn's Past Work on Fellow TV Comedies Such as The Mindy Project, Parks and Recreation and The Afterparty Helped Them on the Path to The Studio Kathryn: "All good ensembles." Ike: "Yes, yes." Kathryn: "Great ensembles." Ike: "Great showrunners." Kathryn: "Yes." Ike: "Great writing." Kathryn: "Great writing." Ike: "We're lucky to have been through a lot of those and seen how they all work. And this was different than all those, just because they went about it a different way. But I think you learn every time you do a show, every time you do an episode of a show or whatever, you learn something, you learn a new trick. So it definitely makes it easier." On the Elements of the Series That Most Felt Real for the Cast and Crew James: "It all feels real to us. I mean, I think we day to day are in these conversations about what kind thing to get behind in terms of a movie or TV show — or who's a filmmaker or a performer that we really believe in. Then we have to have those conversations about 'how is this thing going to make people money?'. It's really this idea of art versus commerce that I think is at the centre of what the show is. But as Evan was just saying, I think then you put overlay that with characters who care deeply about doing something artistic, but also care deeply about not getting fired. And so I think those two ideas are butting up against each other at all times. And that feels very real. The executives that we've been working with for 15 years are friends of ours. We've watched them get married to each other and there's a lot of like, a lot of community, in terms of the people that this show is portraying. And so it all feels very real to us when it goes through that lens. Seth and Evan are also just very, very funny people. So when it comes to making the jokes and the scenarios out of the real thing, they're just very talented at making that funny and entertaining. But it comes from a real place, and I think that's why hopefully people like respond to the show." Ike: "I'm friends with a lot of people who are studio executives, and I think they like to drink a lot. And so I stole that, and I drink a lot in the show. In real life, moderation — but in the show, I have a problem." Kathryn: "Always moderation." Ike: "Always moderation. That's the takeaway." Chase: "I think also studio execs are people who wield a lot of power, but when they're put in front of actors, who are these big personalities, they can be very shy and kind of cower away. And that's something that's both really fun to play the comedy of and also show the humanity of these characters." Ike: "That's a good answer." Kathryn: "I definitely have been in things in which I've seen the mockups for the posters or the possible trailers, and clearly no one has seen the show or the movie. They're so wildly not what the movie's about." Ike: "Yes, yes, yes." On Making the Series Relatable Outside of Hollywood Ike: "I think that the guys, Seth and Evan, did a very good job — even though the show is undeniably set in this world of movies and studios and executives, I think a lot of the situations in each of these episodes are things that everyone has dealt with. We've all had a boss who's gotten too drunk. We've all wanted credit for something and we are afraid we're not going to get credit for it. We've all been jealous of a coworker at some point. So I think a lot of the themes that they deal with in the episodes are universal, and whether you are someone who works in entertainment or around entertainment, or you have nothing to do with entertainment, you'll recognise a lot of those themes and scenarios, and hopefully they'll make you laugh." Kathryn: "Chances are people watch entertainment, so they'll get an idea of what the situations are. But also it's made with love, and so I think that's a different thing, too. There's such care for these characters and there's such love for this business of making movies, and nobody's really tearing down anybody. And I think that that also feels fun for an audience, too." On the Visual Approach When You're Making a TV Series About Filmmaking Evan: "For our show, the method we filmed it came from two different sources. One was, directorially Seth and I have done a lot of improv comedy feature films where we do a wide shot, medium and we get cross coverage of closeups, and then in editing we mess with all the improv we did. And we just wanted to do something very different, so we thought long extended takes would be a great way to do that and to make it more directorial as opposed to written and edited. Then through that conversation, we talked about how it could impact the actual storytelling — and the thing we wanted to embrace was the panic that a lot of these people experience in these jobs. These studio heads, even though they're very powerful and very passionate and very intelligent, they're often panicking because they can just lose their job for one big disaster. One flop and their whole job, maybe even their career, could be done or messed up for a long time. So we thought it would good to anchor people in that mania, and in that intensity, and let them feel the panic — and the best way to do that is make it feel like you are a person, like you are the cameraman, like there's an individual there. So we used one lens with long takes, and it whips back and forth just like your own head would if you were in that room experiencing the scenario that our characters are." On Working with Seth Rogen in His Many Roles on the Series: Star, Co-Creator, Co-Director, Co-Writer and Executive Producer Ike: "Oh man, I'd worked with him a couple times but never as a director. And he's really incredible, I think, at acting and being present in the scene — but he's watching everything. So if there's a slight little problem in a take, if the camera operator accidentally bumps into someone and the camera shakes for half a second, Seth has seen it. And he will just start laughing and go 'let's go again'. But he's just very tuned in. I'm very impressed at how much. You would think, that for who he is and what he ingests, he would be just not — but he is so freaking tuned in. And he's also just an incredibly good-natured guy. I think a lot of times, if something goes wrong, I've seen directors or producers blow their stack and get mad — and I don't know, it's just they're nice Canadian boys who just don't get that upset." [caption id="attachment_997093" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty Images.[/caption] Chase: "Doesn't yell, doesn't get mad." Ike: "They don't yell." Kathryn: "You could see sometimes when you screwed up and you're trying to find a word, and then you see him, you see him basically shake his head and look at you." Chase: "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Kathryn: "And you're like 'well, save me'." On the Securing The Studio's Many, Many Cameos James: "Martin Scorsese was someone that we all admire and never thought we would have a chance to meet. Seth and Evan wrote a script with him as that character, and we sent it to him and he read it, and he was like 'yeah, I'd love to do it'. And then all of our heads exploded, basically. But then people like Charlize Theron or Zac Efron, they're all people that we have worked with in the past, so they were people that we could talk to directly and say 'hey, we have this idea for a character for you in our show'. And then there were some new people we got to meet, like Zoë Kravitz or Olivia Wilde. They were characters that we wrote for the show, and we just had to meet with them and get their ideas on that character. Seth and Evan were on a lot of zooms with each of them before they signed on. But it was nice, because I think once Martin Scorsese said yes, there were several phone calls that I started with 'so Martin Scorsese's doing the show — so can you do the show?'. And that was really nice, because people would generally say 'yeah, sure'." The Studio streams via Apple TV+.
Don't settle for a tired lunch option or a drab post-work session. Instead, head to Il Mercato Centrale for an elevated feast. Spanning a massive, three-storey, Italian food precinct, this place was huge news when it was announced to open in late 2022, as it was set to become the first Il Mercato Centrale to launch outside Italy. While the initial plan hit a few snags, the doors finally swung open in September 2024, meaning hungry office workers and budding epicureans had a brand-new culinary destination to explore, brimming with gourmet goods from top to bottom. Now, several of the joint's 23 artisanal food stores are serving up some of the best-value eats and drinks in the CBD, with a host of daily specials to explore. Creating a whole new dynamic for mid-week meals, Il Texas Barbecue is bringing the fiery flavours of Central Texas to Melbourne with $3 Taco Tuesdays. Founded by Pitmaster Nathan Zammit, expect spit-roasted al pastor pork, sliced fresh off the trompo and loaded onto toasted tortillas. On Wednesdays, it's all about post-work fun, as Wine Down Wednesdays at l'Enoteca invites guests to sip on four stellar wines and a curated pizza board for $49. Running from 5.30pm–8.30pm, this mid-week slowdown is primed for low-key gatherings. Then, knock off early on Fridays, with freshly shucked oysters served all day for $1.50. As the weekend arrives, the specials don't stop. Saturdays now welcome visitors to score a stacked smash burger with fries for $13. For those craving a sweet treat, there's also house-made crepes and golden waffles drizzled in goodness for just $15. "Melbourne knows good food, and we believe good food doesn't need to break the bank, especially when it's part of your everyday," says Gino Liparota, General Manager of Il Mercato Centrale Melbourne. "These offers are our way of opening the doors to more people, more often, whether you're grabbing a quick lunch or winding down with a group of friends after work." Il Mercato Centrale Melbourne is open Sunday–Thursday from 7am–9pm and Friday–Saturday from 7am–10pm at 546 Collins Street, Melbourne. Head to the website for more information.
Transforming traditional higher-end retail shopping into a gallery-like experience, Melbourne-born atelier A-ESQUE has revealed a new concept store. Arriving on High Street, Armadale, this storied shopping strip is now home to A-ESQUE World — a considered space where culture and creativity combine through experiential moments. Guided by several trips to Salone del Mobile.Milano — a globally-renowned event for furniture and design — A-ESQUE founder Amanda Rettig saw an opportunity to reimagine Australia's struggling high-street experience with something more immersive and theme-driven. The result in the brand's new space, brought to life through monthly events, installations and collaborations. "A-ESQUE World shifts the dial on retail experiences for 2026, delivering creative installations and experimental retail moments. Whilst the space will continue to evolve over time, our opening focus was to restore the High Street location to its original material and layer in our opening exhibition," says Rettig. More than just a place to shop the brand's luxury handbags, A-ESQUE World is envisioned as a permanent cultural destination. Incorporating found objects, art and coveted furniture pieces, the space also elevates Melbourne's art scene through a rotation of artists-in-residence and exhibitions. In essence, it's about reinvigorating what's often now a tired retail experience. "We want the High Street experience to draw people back, to be eager to see what's going on, to discover and delight. It will be another creative platform that will not only share more about A-ESQUE in a new environment, but it will also frequently change to showcase a range of incredible local Australian artists, like a traditional gallery space does," explains Rettig. For the first in-store artist collaboration, furnituremaker Ashley Eriksmoen is making the most of the space, showcasing a piece that transforms salvaged, discarded timber into new forms. Meanwhile, signature scents, a curated playlist and thoughtfully selected accoutrements evoke A-ESQUE World's admiration for materiality, cultural collaboration and desire-led creation. A-ESQUE World is now open daily from 10am–5pm at 968 High Street, Armadale. Head to the website for more information. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
In 1999–2001 TV series Spaced, one of Nick Frost's first-ever roles — also, before Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End, his initial screen collaboration with Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning) and Edgar Wright (Last Night in Soho) — he played a character who was obsessed with weapons and the military. A quarter of a century later, he's portraying someone that's training dragon fighters and forging armaments as a blacksmith. "I'm just trying to see now if there's a connection between Mike and Gobber," Frost jokes with Concrete Playground. "I mean, I think Mike would be a great Gobber. Maybe Berk is actually where Mike ended up. Maybe there was some awful apocalypse in Spaced that we never saw and he eventually became Gobber." If you'd like to embrace that theory about one of Spaced's key figures, you can. You heard it from Frost, after all. Regardless, the English talent is now one of the stars of How to Train Your Dragon in its latest iteration as a live-action film. British author Cressida Cowell started the all-ages-friendly Viking tale on the page in 2003, sparking a book saga that's spanned 12 novels. In 2010, filmmakers Chris Sanders (The Wild Robot) and Dean DeBlois (the OG Lilo & Stitch) brought her tales to cinemas in animation. The latter also wrote and directed 2014's How to Train Your Dragon 2 and 2019's How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, and now does the same on the newest big-screen visit to Berk. How to Train Your Dragon fans know the story, then, but they haven't seen it unfurled with actors literally stepping into the shoes of its isle setting's inhabitants. Before Mason Thames (Monster Summer) returns to the world of The Black Phone in that horror hit's sequel later in 2025, he's Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the reluctant fledgling dragon fighter who befriends one of the most-feared types of the winged creatures — not that you'd know it from Toothless' appearance and demeanour — and champions living in harmony with rather than waging war against them. Gerard Butler (Den of Thieves: Pantera) voiced Hiccup's chieftain father Stoick the Vast in the animated movies, and now reprises the part in How to Train Your Dragon's present leap. As first given voice by Craig Ferguson (The Hustler) in the previous pictures, Frost's Gobber is Stoick's friend and Hiccup's mentor, plus a source of support for a young man who is struggling with living up to his dad's expectations. The dragons themselves still required visual effects to animate into existence, with life-sized puppets used during shooting for the actors to work against. Everywhere that it can, however, How to Train Your Dragon circa 2025 is immersed in a tangible Viking-inspired realm. For Frost, as Gobber is charged with imparting dragon-battling skills not just to Hiccup but to other young warriors — the determined Astrid (Nico Parker, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy), plus a group of Berk's fellow next generation spanning Snotlout (Gabriel Howell, Nightsleeper), Fishlegs (Julian Dennison, Y2K), and twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut (Mickey 17's Bronwyn James and The Acolyte's Harry Trevaldwyn) — that meant ample days in the film's training-arena set. This part also saw him continue to build upon father figure-type roles that've been joining his resume of late. "It's because I'm getting old," he jests. A jovial "get stuffed!" is Frost's first comment when the passage of time since Spaced and Shaun of the Dead comes up. He's spent that quarter-century-plus since the former kicked off and more than 20 years since the later arrived cementing himself as a beloved actor with a diverse resume. On his filmography, The Boat That Rocked sits side by side with US-set alien comedy Paul — which Frost and Pegg wrote — and also with Attack the Block, voice work alongside Pegg again on The Adventures of Tintin, two Snow White and the Huntsman films, leading rom-com Cuban Fury, TV's Mr Sloane, wrestling flick Fighting with My Family, the Pegg co-starring Truth Seekers and loaning his tones to Skeleton Crew's SM 33. There's more, of course, such as Ice Age, The Boxtrolls and Trollhunters; 2024 horror efforts Krazy House, Get Away and Black Cab; and, in his latest significant news, playing Hagrid in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series. Frost is responsible for decades of folks asking if their friends want a beer in quite the colourful way, repeating perhaps his best-known Shaun of the Dead line. With that film's Peter Serafinowicz (Wolf King) by his side as How to Train Your Dragon's Spitelout, he's currently in completely different terrain. What appealed to Frost about joining the franchise, and also juggling the family-friendly and definitely not child-appropriate sides of his resume, was equally a topic of conversation in our chat — alongside a range of other subjects, such as adding his own stamp on Gobber, his personal connection to using humour as a shield, that massive training arena, the importance of DeBlois returning as director and Frost never wanting to be an actor. On Taking on the Role of How to Train Your Dragon's Dragon-Fighter Trainer "First of all, it's a massive film. It's part of a really well-loved — I hate the phrase 'franchise', but that's what it is. And apart from maybe Snow White and the Huntsman and stuff like that, I hadn't really done anything perhaps this massive before. And I think being a filmmaker and a writer and an actor, it's like 'let's do this, let's try this — this is different, let's have a go'. I think part of me was aware that obviously Craig Ferguson was Gobber in the past. And people love what Craig did. And I was aware that I didn't want to ruin what he did — I was aware that there was a responsibility on me to make Gobber what people felt watching Craig's Gobber. And I think having a conversation with Dean before I got the job, he was like 'what do you want to do?' — I think once you realise that you have a certain amount of creative freedom, that's really attractive, I think, for me. And to collaborate, that's always a joy. And to know that you have a voice on set and you can say 'hey, is this all right? Can we try this?' or 'do you think this is funny', it's always a lovely compliment to be allowed to do that." On Bringing a New Guise to a Part That's Already Well-Established in the Animated Films "Honestly, I didn't, after the initial few days of getting the job and speaking to Dean, I just left it at the door and then came in completely without that. I didn't want to feel like that was on me for the whole thing, and that I couldn't try anything new or be different because it wasn't what had gone before. I just wanted to try and, as I say, respect what that was, but then let's move on and try to give a different kind of Gobber for a new generation of audiences — but also, I guess, leaving something of what Craig did so people who love the animated ones will enjoy it, too. I think, personally, if I'm going into this with the expectations of what people will think, I think you'd probably just be crushed. You just have to unburden yourself from all of that and just do what you think is right, do what Dean wants, and be respectful of that process and the process of the other actors in the film with you." On What Interests Frost About the Variety of Projects Across His Career, Including Both Family-Friendly Fare and Horror Films Aplenty of Late "I just don't see them as any different, really. It's still all work. I think I'm probably very lucky and grateful that I haven't been pigeonholed in 'oh, well he just does that'. I think that is possible and that does happen. And I'm very pleased that the people who cast things like Harry Potter and this don't think 'oh god, he was cutting someone's head off in a film that he wrote like two years ago. Is that going to be a problem?'. I love the fact that I can do both. I can get away with it all." On Portraying Someone Who Uses Humour as a Shield to Deal with an Uncertain World "I think that's me. That was me for a long time. I think where Gobber and I differ, he just uses it — I think if you live in a society like Berk and where the Vikings are from, I think probably the sense of humour is very dark, because essentially you could be taken and killed in at any moment, day or night. So I think using comedy and laughter as a shield is par for that kind of society. I think where it becomes not so useful is when you hide behind it and not work out what's behind that." [caption id="attachment_1009286" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tyler Curtis/ABImages[/caption] On Stepping Into Paternal-Type and Mentorship-Style Roles "I just think I'm a dad, I've got three children, so I just get it more. I guess when before I had children and if you're going to be a kind of father figure, you're just — as a lot of actors do — you're just imagining what it would be like. And you're drawing on your own father or your grandfather or stepfather. But once you have your own, I think as I act, I always try to get better. Every job I do, every role I play, I just want to be better and better and better. And I think an actor's ageing gives you that opportunity. Every time you do something else, you're slightly older. You've seen a tiny bit more. And what I think, what I'd say about this film, is I know people are saying potentially 'oh, he's quite paternal' — but I actually think Gobber's more maternal in this film. I think he's stepped in to be Hiccup's mum." On the Impact That Immersive Sets Have, Especially How to Train Your Dragon's Training Arena "That was the first thing we shot, and it was really nerve-wracking, because it's massive. It's honestly the size of a small soccer stadium. And there are 200 crew, and there are 500 extras and they're all dressed as dragons. And they all know you, they're looking at you, and you have to give them a little wave. And it's frightening. I think what 25 years in this has given me is you have to shrug that off, and it just becomes about my relationship with the camera and Dean and whoever I'm acting with, and Bill Pope [Unfrosted] the DoP. 'What can I give to you? How can I help you? Should we have a run through our lines?' And I think what helps is making something that massive that small, it helps me cope with it more emotionally, more effectively — because if I were to look around and think 'all these fucking people', it becomes unmanageable emotionally for me." On How Dean DeBlois Continuing as How to Train Your Dragon's Director From the Animated Films Assisted the Cast "Dean, he absolutely loves it. He loves How to Train Your Dragon. He loves Hiccup. He loves Stoick and Gobber and the gang. And he's just passionate about it, and I find being around someone who's so passionate about something, it's really attractive. It makes me love it, too. And I wanted Dean to like me. I wanted him to like Gobber. And I wanted him to, when you're working with someone like Dean, when he just comes up behind you and gives you a little pat, it's like 'oh dad, dad likes it', you know — 'he loves it'. It's nice to be around that kind of passion. It's conducive. It makes me want to be around it, too." On Frost's Journey Over the 25 Years Since Spaced and Two Decades Since Shaun of the Dead "It's not lost on me. It's amazing. I never wanted to be an actor. I never wanted to act. I never knew what I wanted to do. Even, I was like 30 when we did Shaun of the Dead, and that was the first film I ever did. So I just — and this is going to sound like, I don't want to say actor-y bullshit, but I'm just terribly grateful, I'm amazed, and I just love it. I'm so lucky that I found something that I — there's not one day I've ever been on a set in 25 years where I haven't loved it in some way, shape or form. And to get a chance to do that, and then to start getting bigger and bigger things, it feels like a dream to me, really. Like when I got How to Train Your Dragon and you realise the kind of people who have to say 'yes' before you get the role — that was terribly flattering for me that someone, somewhere, had to say 'yeah, he's the guy. We'll have him'. It's not lost on me how lucky I am every single day. I'm sitting here, someone brings me a coffee‚ it's like 'this is amazing'. It's amazing to me. And I love it. I love making films." How to Train Your Dragon opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
Australia's festival scene keeps delivering heartbreak, with Mona Foma the latest major event to announce that it's no longer going ahead. 2024's fest has already taken place, running back in February, but it will now go down in history as the last-ever Mona Foma. Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, aka Mona, has called time on its summer festival after a 16-year run of showcasing music and art — and giving Dark Mofo a sunny counterpart — during the Apple Isle's warmer months. Mona owner and founder David Walsh revealed the end of Mona Foma in a statement, bidding farewell to the event because "it's been magical, but the spell has worn off". [caption id="attachment_784488" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mona/Jesse Hunniford. Image courtesy of the artist and Mona Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia[/caption] "At Mona Foma — Mofo — at the Peacock Theatre, we joined the Zen Circus, and Italian punk came to live, rent free, in my head," starts Walsh's missive, which begins by running through past festival highlights. "In 2023 Peaches turned us all on with her sexy songs, but the thing that turned me on the most was the sign language interpreter signing 'peg'," he continues. "Guy Ben-Ary in 2017, wiring living neurons to speakers and cajoling them to scream. Gotye playing the ondioline. Robin Fox's beacons. David Byrne and Philip Glass. Wire and Cale. The Saints and St Vincent. Dresden Dolls and Dan Deacon. Sun Ra and Neneh Cherry. Kate Miller-Heidke and Vieux Farka Touré." "And the finches playing guitar. From Here to Ear. That was the first one, in 2009. We bought that work, but we've never shown it again. It was too much the first time." [caption id="attachment_880158" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mona/Rémi Chauvin. Image Courtesy Mona, Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] "Mona Foma took us around the world. But it ends here. Maybe the end started at COVID. Maybe it's because the last festival was a poorly attended artistic triumph. But those aren't the reasons I killed it," Walsh notes. "I know that we live for experience but, more and more, I seek permanence, a symbolic immortality. At Mona, I'm building this big thing, hopefully it'll be a good thing, but it's a costly thing. I'm addicted to building, and my addiction got out of hand. Some things have to go before I'm too far gone." "Mona Foma is one of those things. It's been magical, but the spell has worn off. Only these words, from Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, remain: 'live by the Foma that makes you brave and kind and healthy and happy.'" [caption id="attachment_832077" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford, Mona[/caption] Ending Mona Foma is the latest big change for Mona's festivals. As announced in 2023, Dark Mofo is taking a breather in 2024. A number of the latter's regular events, such as Winter Feast, the Nude Solstice Swim, Night Shift and the Mona Gala are still happening this year, however. With Dark Mofo, the plan is to press pause for 12 months to take stock and come back even better. "The fallow year will enable us to secure the future of Dark Mofo and its return at full force in 2025," said Dark Mofo Artistic Director Chris Twite in 2023. The Mona Foma news comes after both Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo cancelled their 2024 festivals mere weeks after announcing their lineups. Falls Festival took summer 2023–24 off, Summergrounds Music Festival at Sydney Festival was cancelled and This That hasn't gone ahead for a couple of years now. [caption id="attachment_926552" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Amy Brown, image courtesy of Street Eats @ Franko Hobart and Mona Foma.[/caption] 2024's Mona Foma featured Queens of the Stone Age, Courtney Barnett, TISM, Paul Kelly, Mogwai, Shonen Knife, and Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, for starters — and Holy Fuck, Wednesday, Michael Rother and Friends (playing Neu! songs), and Lonnie Holley with Moor Mother and Irreversible Entanglements. The lineup goes on from there. "Gratitude to all of you that came. And to those who didn't, a silver lining: you'll no longer suffer from FOMO for FOMA. And anyway, repetition is regimentation. And regimentation is ridiculous," said Walsh in his announcement. "Greatest gratitude to those who helped put it together. I hope it was as good for you as it was for me." [caption id="attachment_830704" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Remi Chauvin, Mona.[/caption] Mona Foma's last festival took place in February 2024. Head to the MONA website for further details. Top image: Mona/Jesse Hunniford. Image courtesy of the artist and Mona Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Maybe you've spent much of 2020 glued to the small screen, viewing your way through this year's lockdown periods. Perhaps, as cinemas have been reopening around the country, you've flocked to the big screen to get your movie fix. Either way, if you've been thinking and supporting local — as has been the trend all-round in 2020 — then you've had plenty of Australian films and television shows to watch. And, from this hectic year, the best of the bunch have just been singled out at the 2020 AACTA Awards. Previously called the AFI Awards, the AACTA Awards announced its nominees back at the beginning of November, then handed out its trophies on Monday, November 30. The accolades span multiple types of screen content, so a hefty number of local productions were vying for a gong — but there were two big winners, with one each in the film and TV fields. Just calling Babyteeth a teen cancer drama doesn't quite cover just how complex, nuanced and intimate the movie is, as AACTA members clearly agree. It was named Best Film, and also won Best Director (Shannon Murphy), Screenplay (Rita Kalnejais) Actor (Toby Wallace), Actress (Eliza Scanlen), Supporting Actor (Ben Mendelsohn ) and Supporting Actress (Essie Davis), from a total haul of nine awards. On the TV front, if you've watched miniseries Stateless this year, then you've seen the most-awarded television production of 2020. It received 13 gongs, including Best Telefeature or Mini Series, Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama (Fayssal Bazzi), Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama (Yvonne Strahovski), Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama (Darren Gilshenan), Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama (Cate Blanchett), Best Screenplay in Television (Elise McCredie) and Best Direction in a TV Drama or Comedy (Emma Freeman). Across both fields, other winners included Mystery Road (Best Drama Series), Upright (Best Comedy Series), Tim Minchin (Best Comedy Performer, for Upright), Standing Up For Sunny (Best Indie Film) and Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra (Best Documentary). Here's a rundown of the major nominations and winners — and you can check out the full list on the AACTA's website: AACTA NOMINEES 2020 FILM AWARDS: BEST FILM Babyteeth — WINNER H is for Happiness I Am Woman The Invisible Man True History of the Kelly Gang Relic BEST INDIE FILM A Boy Called Sailboat Hot Mess Koko: A Red Dog Story A Lion Returns Standing Up for Sunny — WINNER Unsound BEST DIRECTION Shannon Murphy, Babyteeth — WINNER John Sheedy, H is for Happiness Leigh Whannell, The Invisible Man Justin Kurzel, True History of the Kelly Gang Natalie Erika James, Relic BEST LEAD ACTOR George MacKay, True History of the Kelly Gang Sam Neill, Rams Richard Roxburgh, H is for Happiness Toby Wallace, Babyteeth — WINNER Hugo Weaving, Measure for Measure BEST LEAD ACTRESS Tilda Cobham-Hervey, I Am Woman Laura Gordon, Undertow Elisabeth Moss, The Invisible Man Lupita Nyong'o, Little Monsters Eliza Scanlen, Babyteeth — WINNER BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Fayssal Bazzi, Measure for Measure Russell Crowe, True History of the Kelly Gang Aaron Jeffery, The Flood Ben Mendelsohn, Babyteeth — WINNER Wesley Patten, H is for Happiness BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Emma Booth, H is for Happiness Essie Davis, Babyteeth — WINNER Bella Heathcote, Relic Deborah Mailman, H is for Happiness Doris Younane, Measure for Measure BEST SCREENPLAY Rita Kalnejais, Babyteeth — WINNER Abe Forsythe, Little Monsters Leigh Whannell, The Invisible Man Natalie Erika James and Christian White, Relic Shaun Grant, True History of the Kelly Gang BEST DOCUMENTARY Brazen Hussies Brock: Over the Top Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra — WINNER Slim & I Suzi Q TELEVISION AWARDS: BEST DRAMA SERIES Bloom Doctor Doctor Halixfax: Retribution The Heights Mystery Road — WINNER Wentworth BEST TELEFEATURE OR MINISERIES The Gloaming Hungry Ghosts Operation Buffalo The Secrets She Keeps Stateless — WINNER BEST COMEDY SERIES At Home Alone Together Black Comedy The Other Guy Rosehaven Upright — WINNER BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Fayssal Bazzi, Stateless — WINNER Bryan Brown, Bloom Jai Courtney, Stateless Ewen Leslie, Operation Buffalo Aaron Pedersen, Mystery Road BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Jada Alberts, Mystery Road Rebecca Gibney, Halixfax: Retribution Asher Keddie, Stateless Pamela Rabe, Wentworth Yvonne Strahovski, Stateless — WINNER BEST COMEDY PERFORMER Milly Alcock, Upright Anne Edmonds, At Home Together Luke McGregor, Rosehaven Tim Minchin, Upright — WINNER Celia Pacquola, Rosehaven BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Rob Collins, Mystery Road Darren Gilshenan, Stateless — WINNER Damon Herriman, The Commons Callan Mulvey, Mystery Road Ed Oxenbould, Bloom BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Cate Blanchett, Stateless — WINNER Jacqueline McKenzie, Bloom Ngaire Pigram, Mystery Road Tasma Walton, Mystery Road Jacki Weaver, Bloom
When New Year's Eve rolled around in 1999 with its blend of Y2K excitement and anxiety — including fears about how the world, or at least the technology relied upon to run it, might crash — Emily Browning wasn't yet a teenager. Thanks to the film The Echo of Thunder and TV series High Flyers, she was also already an actor, however. Over a quarter of a century later, the Australian Ghost Ship, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Uninvited, Sucker Punch, Magic Magic, God Help the Girl, Legend, Golden Exits, The Affair and American Gods talent is back at the last evening of the 90s. In One More Shot, she can't escape it. The Aussie comedy, which premiered at SXSW in Austin before its local debut at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival, and will hit streaming later in the year via Stan, is a time-loop movie. Rather than Bill Murray waking up each morning to Sonny and Cher's 'I Got You Babe', Browning resets to the front door of a NYE shindig where the sounds of James' 'Laid' echo from the just-starting party inside. After a career so far that's taken her to Hollywood and back Down Under on multiple occasions, Browning is making her own return: to Australian film. The last time that she starred in a homegrown picture was in 2011's Sleeping Beauty. The only other local fare that she's had reach screens between then and now is 2023 Prime Video series Class of '07, which is set at a high-school reunion as an apocalyptic wave hits. The Fox with Jai Courtney (Dangerous Animals), Damon Herriman (Together) and Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim) is next, as written and directed by Danger 5's Dario Russo. Genre-wise, Browning is charting new territory in each of her three latest Aussie projects, too, embracing her comedy era. When you're leading a movie about reliving the same night over and over again — One More Shot's New Year's Eve cycle is sparked by a magical bottle of tequila — then you're leading a film about choices. Whenever the genre pops up, be it with Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow, Happy Death Day and its sequel, Palm Springs, video-game adaptation Until Dawn or TV series Russian Doll, decisions and selecting the right options are always at their heart. That's a theme that aligns with Browning's approach to her career, especially in the two decades after playing A Series of Unfortunate Events' Violet Baudelaire opposite Jim Carrey (Sonic the Hedgehog 3) as Count Olaf. The film hit cinemas when she was just 16. That kind of fame wasn't her dream, even though she grew up with an avid love of movies. As Minnie Vernon, her One More Shot character, also does as she keeps retracing her steps as the new millennium dawns, Browning learned from it. Her Lemony Snicket experience has influenced how she has chosen projects since. "It's very much feelings-based, and also a desire to not repeat myself — not for the sake of optics or anything, but just because I get bored really easily. So really, I just go towards what interests me," she tells Concrete Playground. "Of course, there's about ten people in Hollywood who get their pick of any movie they want, and I'm certainly not one of them. And so a lot of it is also what's available to me at the time," Browning continues. "It's a combination of that and things that I love. But I've only done one or two things that I really didn't like and that I did because I needed to work. And I think I'm too — I just don't think I have the constitution for that. And so I really mostly just wait for something to come along that speaks to me in some way, and sometimes I wait for a really long time — sometimes I have huge breaks in work. I mean, I'm so incredibly lucky. There are so many talented actors out there who don't ever get the opportunities that I've been given, and so I feel like incredibly lucky for that, but I just follow my gut. I'm just going with what feels right to me." In One More Shot, Browning's Minnie is an anaesthetist who's having a chaotic day that she thinks rekindling her on-again-off-again romance with Joe (Sean Keenan, Exposure) will fix. More than that, she believes that plunging into a relationship with him now that he's back from New York will solve her general sensation that something's missing from her existence. Their loaded pal Rodney (Ashley Zukerman, In Vitro) and his wife Pia (Pallavi Sharda, Spit), who are parents to an infant and feeling the stress of the change to their lifestyle, are their hosts — but the night instantly alters for Minnie when she meets Joe's new girlfriend Jenny (Aisha Dee, Apple Cider Vinegar), then swerves again (and again and again and again) when taking a swig of tequila sees her kick off the party from the beginning once more. [caption id="attachment_1017510" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick Robertson | @nickmickpics[/caption] When Class of '07 gave Browning her first taste of comedy as an actor, she was apprehensive. As the series proved, she needn't have been. Browning was also uncertain when One More Shot came her way — especially about playing drunk, one of acting's most-challenging tasks. Again, the same applies. A particular highlight of the Nicholas Clifford (Monologue)-directed, Alice Foulcher- and Gregory Erdstein (That's Not Me)-co-written film, which also features Hamish Michael (Scrublands: Silver), Anna McGahan (Darby and Joan) and Contessa Treffone (Totally Completely Fine) among its cast: Browning's ability, even though every protagonist in every flick hopefully changes and evolves, to convey that shift when those changes and evolutions are firmly in the spotlight — each step along the way, each tweak. How do you respond when a time-loop rom-com that sparks its temporal trickery with slinging shots hits your inbox? What's exciting about diving into comedy more than two decades into your career? Does a transformation arc change how you approach playing a character in a movie like this? In our chat, Browning also filled us in on all of the above, plus finding Minnie's mix of vulnerability and selfishness, acting tipsy, her journey since her first on-screen credit at the age of 11 and the thrill of making Australian projects. On How You React When a Time-Loop Comedy About a Magical Bottle of Tequila Comes Your Way "So every script you get sent, there's sort of a little blurb, like the kind of elevator pitch of the story that's trying to like sum it up in a paragraph or two. I guess that's for the actors who get sent so many scripts that they don't have time to read them all, but I'm just always happy to read a script. The blurbs are also never written by the creatives — they're written by someone at an agency somewhere. And so I read the blurb and I was like 'romantic comedy about a time travelling bottle of tequila?'. I was like 'aaah, I don't know about this. I'm not so sure'. But then I read the script, because I just like to read scripts, and I got not even probably 10–15 pages in and I was like 'oh, wait a sec'. I could just tell immediately that the quality of writing was really good. And I found it really funny. And then by the time I was through it, I was really nervous. I wasn't immediately sold, mostly because I didn't know if I could pull it off. When I first read it, I read it as though Minnie was getting progressively drunker through the whole film. And playing drunk is really, really, really hard to do, and so I was like 'oh, I don't know, this might be too much of a challenge'. But I really related to the themes of the choices that you make in life meaning that you have to say goodbye to other possible choices, and how do you decide what you want your life to look like — and the feeling of regret, and the kind of grass-is-always-greener feeling. And I really loved it. And then I when I spoke to Nick Clifford, the director, he just really further sold me on it. And yeah, I'm really excited about it. I feel really, really proud of it now." On Embracing Comedy After Initially Being Apprehensive Before Class of '07 Gave Browning Her First Comic Role "I love it. I love it so much. And I love it because it still feels really hard to me. I'm a person who gets bored really easily and I like to be challenged. I mean, I know that's a really trite thing to say. I know everyone says that. But without the fear of failing spectacularly, I feel like I don't have the — how do I explain this? I only really am able to be my best, most-creative self when I'm under a lot of stress and when I'm feeling really anxious. I guess it's maybe kind of an ADD thing where I just don't have enough dopamine in my brain unless I'm kind of borderline panicking. And so I think, yeah, comedy still feels really scary, and that's why I love to do it. And I really also, I really credit Class of '07 and Kacie Anning [Madam], the creator of that show, for opening that up in me — because she really put me through the wringer. We were playing improv games and doing a bunch of crazy stuff to prepare for that show. And she was pushing me. She was like 'you're still too afraid of being embarrassed. You still have to be more of a dickhead'. Like, 'you have to embarrass yourself more'. And it really broke something open in me, because I think before that I was really terrified of embarrassing myself, and I kind of wanted — I did a lot of straight drama, and I think I got to the limits of what I could do in my career without being willing to embarrass myself. And so now that's a fun and exciting risk for me — when I read a script where I'm like 'ohh, I'm going to look like a real idiot doing this', that's a pro now instead of a con." On Playing a Character Whose Change and Evolution Scene by Scene Isn't Just in the Spotlight — It's One of the Key Points of the Film "It was a challenge — there's so much repetition of setpieces and of moments, but ideally you don't want it to be repetition of the emotion or the acting, because then it becomes a really boring film. So that was a huge challenge, was like 'okay, how do I make sure every loop, the similarities between every loop' — like the literal similarities — 'feel different enough every time we're doing it?'. And I try not to think too much about how the audience is going to respond to a film. I don't really think that's my job when I'm filming it, when I'm acting. But I definitely wanted to make sure that Minnie, that there was some or a lot of variation between each time loop. But I think having such a clear transformation arc was really fun, actually. I love playing kind of an unlikeable character, and I just think it's more interesting and more fun. And I think Minnie, the fact that we get to watch Minnie over the course of the film go from unlikeable to a-little-bit-more likeable is really great. There's nothing more fun, honestly, than playing a character who has no self-awareness. There's something really freeing about it. As someone who's a total people-pleaser, there's something so enjoyable about playing a character who just doesn't give a shit about other people's feelings." On Finding Minnie's Balance of Yearning and Vulnerability, But Also Selfishness and Recklessness — and Plenty More "It's interesting. I think so much of that is a credit to the writing. I'm trying to get better in my work. I'm trying to get better at being proud of myself and owning the things that I'm good at — which I think growing up in Australia can sometimes be a tricky thing, when it's always like 'oh, don't get too full of yourself'. But I have always thought of myself or I've thought of actors as a medium in the way that paint is a medium. Like, I'm a paint colour and a director chooses to paint with me. And I know I've said this to a few actors and they're completely horrified by it, but an actor has very little control in the outcome of a film. And I think that this is why actors can become such nightmares sometimes, because they have this delusion of control and this need for control, where there really isn't any. It's really a job where you don't get much creative control. And so I think that I just am trying to tap into exactly what I imagine Minnie feels in the moment, and I get that from the script. I know that sounds like kind of a cheap answer. It makes it sound like I have no agency. But I'm a real overthinker in every other area of my life — but when it comes to work, if a character feels right and if a story feels right, something clicks for me where I'm really not thinking very much. I'm not a studious actor. I'm not poring over the script every day. My favourite thing is to get in there and talk about the scene with the director and with the other actors, and then just do it. And when I'm doing, I'm not thinking about it at all." On the Difficulties of Acting Drunk — But Only Really Needing to Act Tipsy Here "One of the ways that Nick Clifford reassured me about taking on the role was by telling me that she doesn't get progressively drunker. She actually resets for every loop. So really, Minnie is only ever tipsy, which is a lot easier — because I think that there's a broader area to play with with tipsiness. Some people, you can tell if they're tipsy — some people, you can't. Minnie is an anaesthetist. She's in a very serious profession. She probably went to a great school and her job means that she's taken very seriously. So I feel like Emily's normal personality-level silliness is probably Minnie's tipsiness. So I wasn't really thinking about playing tipsy. I was just thinking about playing Minnie being maybe slightly less reserved than she normally would be — or than she would be at work. The only moment in the film that I really felt that I was playing inebriated in some way was the scene with Sean in the bathroom, where Minnie does a line of C-Word's [Michael] cocaine. I've had conversations with a lot of people who were on cocaine, and I found that much easier than playing drunk — because essentially, a person on cocaine is just talking a bit faster and a bit more excitedly and animatedly, but really they just don't give a fuck what you have to say. They just want to hear the sound of themselves talking. And I was like 'yeah, I can do that.' That's a lot easier to act than drunk. Whereas drunk is like — when I see a great drunk performance, I'm really, really, really impressed by it. People think it's impressive when actors cry easily. I'm like 'no anyone can do that'. When someone can play drunk, that's when I'm really — I think that's really incredible. I don't know if I can really do it, to be honest with you." On Browning's Path From Making Her Screen Debut Almost Three Decades Ago in The Echo of Thunder Through to Now "That was my first acting role, and it kind of happened by accident. It was very random. A friend's parents saw me in a school play and knew a casting director, and the casting director was looking for an eight-year-old girl — and it kind of just happened. Before then, I loved movies so much. I loved movies. All I did was watch movies. But I just didn't think — I never made the connection in my mind that that was a job you could do. And then it just happened, and I was like 'cool, I guess this is my job now'. And it meant that I got to be out of school for a few months of the year, and it felt more interesting to me than school did. But I think from the beginning, I was like 'well, this is what I do now, I guess'. And then I remember doing Lemony Snicket when I was 14, and I loved that experience, but it was my first time in LA and it really freaked me out in a way that was like 'I actually don't think this is the life that I want'. I was there, I was in West Hollywood, and I was meeting all these young actors who seemed so — they just seemed to not have any other life outside of making films and it just all felt a bit yuck to me. And so I actually kind of quit for a few years, and didn't start again until after high school. But even that, it's only really in the last few years, since COVID, that I've really felt like I fully committed to wanting to be an actor — which is crazy because I'm in my mid-30s now. But it took me a long time. I was very afraid for a long time. The idea of being famous has always been terrifying to me. I'm only now at the point where I'm like 'okay, I think I know myself well enough and I can let myself accept the fact that I would like to be successful'. I still don't want to be famous. I still have no interest in being — like, I don't want to be in superhero movies, really. But I would like to do this for the rest of my life, and I would like to be able to do really interesting roles. And that means learning how to play the game to some degree, I guess, which feels gross, but I think it's just part of it. I've spent a lot of time leaning in and then pulling back, and hiding from the scarier elements of the industry — or the elements that were scary to me. And now I finally feel like I'm at a place where I'm like 'okay, I want to do this for real', even though I have been doing it for real for a long time. But I finally feel ready for it." On Coming Home for a Project — and One More Shot Being Browning's Australian Film Since 2011's Sleeping Beauty "Honestly, other than my gut, it's the fact that I get to come home. It's a huge drawcard to be able to work at home. And honestly, more and more recently, so much of the most interesting stuff that I've been reading has been Australian stuff. So it's been a really lucky thing — especially during the strike and everything, when a lot of my friends just had to wait it out. And the fact that I was still able to be reading stuff in Australia, I feel really, really lucky for that, that I have this other — it's not a second career, it's all part of the same career, but the fact that I can come home and work is really, really incredible, especially now considering that everything's a bit more global now. With streaming, people see things from all over the world and you can be anywhere. I'm not going to take a job in Australia just because it's in Australia, but if something is in Australia that I already love, it's going to make me even more excited about it. I think One More Shot — and The Fox as well — are both things that I'm incredibly excited about. And they both happen to have been made here, which is really cool. It makes them even more special." One More Shot screens at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival — and will stream via Stan later in 2025. MIFF 2025 runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. For further details, visit the MIFF website. One More Shot images: Ben King/Stan.
These days, I don't let early morning sunshine lull me into a false sense of security. The above average rainfall we've been experiencing is probably due to weather phenomenon La Niña, and I know it's bound to bucket down at some point during the day. Inevitably, my sky-blue umbrella has become my new best friend and I skulk in bookshops to avoid spontaneous downpours. Advertisers in the Netherlands have discovered a way to make the most of a rainy day. Fresh Green Ads creates street campaigns with eco-friendly materials that are revealed with a spot of wet weather. Lasting up to 8 weeks, ads fade away when the puddles disappear. Rain Campaign is a form of Clean Advertising, and according to the company "an environmentally friendly way of advertising on the street. With a template and a high pressure water sprayer the advertising message is cleaned out of the dirt on the street or on a wall. The result is a contrast between the dirty street and the clean message." Sand, crop and water drop campaigns are other forms of Clean Advertising offered by Fresh Green Ads. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZjruygIIk9k https://youtube.com/watch?v=BLdEoj43nkY [Via PSFK]
If you've ever worked in a restaurant where you've had to throw out the still-good offcuts the kitchen doesn't need at at the end of a shift, worked at a supermarket where expired food has at to be tossed in the bin or simply opened your crisper to find a browned and shrivelled iceberg lettuce that you bought and promptly forgot about last week, you'll know that food wastage is rife basically everywhere. And even if you haven't been privy to all that, know that roughly four million tonnes of food is wasted in Australia each year. That's why food rescue charity OzHarvest exists — each day, they go around to cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, airports and hotels to collect the food they don't want and deliver it to people who need it. OzHarvest has been hugely successful at doing this. Since its creation in 2004, the charity has been instrumental in changing how food waste is handled in Australia. Led by founder Ronni Kahn, the organisation has successfully lobbied state governments to alter legislation to allow potential food donors (that is, the supermarkets, restaurants, etc.) to legally donate surplus food to charitable organisations. And now OzHarvest has taken their operation to the next level, by opening a 'rescued food' supermarket in Sydney. The OzHarvest Market is a physical store for all the rescued food the organisation collects. Rather than being delivered directly to charitable groups, the market makes some of the produce available to members of the public, and particularly those in need. That's because nothing at the market has a set price — it operates on a "take what you need, give if you can" model. "The OzHarvest Market is our latest innovation to tackle food waste and eliminate hunger," said founder Ronni Kahn. "It supports OzHarvest's purpose to nourish our country, by making sure good food does not go to waste and is available to everyone." The market is located on the ground floor of the Addison Hotel, which is currently being used as a refuge for homeless youth while the building owners TOGA await approval for a development. OzHarvest will inhabit the space for as long as it is available. The OzHarvest Market is open Monday to Friday from 10am till 2pm at 147 Anzac Parade, Kensington, Sydney. For more information, visit ozharvest.org/market.
Anyone who has experienced the joys of travelling through South East Asia, and the huge variety of delicious flavours found in hawker markets, will share the excitement of returning to those tastes here in Melbourne upon a visit to Rice Paper Scissors. Fitzroy is the locale for the restaurant's second venue, with the first having been open for a while now in the CBD. It's safe to say that the team has not dropped the ball in the duplicate — the food and atmosphere are just as great as the original. The atmosphere is very relaxed, a welcome difference from the chaos and noise of true hawker markets. For people like us who don't just want one dish, but want all the food, there is cause for celebration. The style here is all about sharing plates and multiple mini meals. The friendly staff will explain how to get to grips, quite literally, with the perfectly presented food — you are encouraged to eat with your hands for most dishes, and a lemon water basin is provided to refresh those sticky fingers between delicious bites. We found the amount of attention given to the menu for those with dietary restrictions exceptional and truly reflects that this team understand the Fitzroy area. The majority of meals can be altered for vegetarians and vegans. Expertly treated tofu replaces the meat component of these dishes in an exceptional way — even your meat-loving companions will adore them. Having said that, those carnivorously inclined will definitely find a lot on the menu to sink their teeth into. Leaving the difficult task of what to pick from the menu in the capable hands of our waiter, we were excited about each new and impressively presented meal to arrive. The crispy coconut cups ($16.50) are filled with caramelised pork with prawn and smoked salmon caviar. The vegetarian adaption is equally as explosive. Yam pla foo — or tapioca-dusted barramundi ($17) — with a green apple and roast cashew salad was a standout dish, full of zesty, fresh flavours matched perfectly with the flawlessly cooked fish. Or there's suckling pug steamed buns ($17) enhanced by pickled cucumber and hoisin sauce. You can order five different dishes for $45 per person, which is easily enough to fill two hungry bellies. If you're after something with a little kick, then look no further than the Thai influenced cocktails. The Rice Paper Spritzer ($19) is made with plum wine, gin, rose syrup and prosecco, and an interesting version of an espresso martini ($17) using condensed milk is available for those with a sweet tooth. Our pick for a refreshing summer drink over some spicy food would be the Lemongrass Tom Collins ($22): lemongrass infused gin with cucumber and sparkling soda. If you can't make it to Fitzroy, Rice Paper Scissors also has a second location in the city, at 15 Hardware Lane, Melbourne. Updated Monday, April 11 Appears in: The Best Vegan Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 — While this 400-person bar is closed, you can still pick up its easy-drinking draught and New England IPA from the onsite Froff Shop. Plus, on the weekend, there are takeaway tacos. Check out all the deets, over on the Instagram. If local beer label Bodriggy wasn't already on your radar, it sure will be now. Owners Jon Costello, Anthony Daniels and Peter Walsh have officially opened their mammoth Abbotsford brewpub. The sprawling warehouse space and one-time mechanics workshop has been home to Bodriggy's brewing operations for a while, but now also boasts a bar, pub and kitchen — with room for an impressive 400 punters. A striking fit-out has been headed up by builder, designer and co-owner Daniels, transforming the lofty building with a mix of reclaimed materials, natural finishes and considered industrial elements. Vintage-style timber panelling is offset by painted brickwork and exposed pipes, while big steel trusses curve overhead. You'll spy lamps recovered from the Palais Theatre, as well as a couple of vintage MCG balustrades, here edging the stairs down to the underground bathrooms. The brewery tanks loom large and shiny at the back of the room, while the front section is home to a dining room, complete with warm timber and plush green booth seating. But if you're impressed with the size of the pub itself, just wait until you get a look at the drinks offering. Bodriggy's beer is front and centre, of course, the light box menu above the bar sporting plenty of just-launched creations in celebration of the new digs. Mainstays include the likes of the Speccy Juice session IPA, the easy-drinking draught, or the newly-hatched New England IPA they've dubbed Cosmic Microwave. There's a handful of seasonal offerings, too – think, wine-beer hybrid Zooter Doozy. Or you can skip the decision making altogether, grab a tasting paddle and settle in for a sampling session. That said, the Bodriggy taps aren't solely for things fizzy and hopped — they're also pouring wild and natural wines from the likes of Quealy, Little Reddie and Garage Project, and a lineup of cocktails heroing native ingredients and South American flavours. Expect concoctions like the El Coco, blending coconut-washed Buffalo Trace bourbon with bitters and agave and the vermouth- and cherry-infused Cascara Spritz. More South American flavours feature throughout the food menu, which is crafted by Chef John Dominguez (Vue de Monde, Dinner by Heston) and working a huge offering of vegan and gluten-free options. You'll find Peruvian-style beef heart skewers, tacos loaded with achiote-marinated slow-cooked pork, and 'petacon' or fried plantains featuring a daily changing topping. Larger plates might include the likes of a beef short rib matched with bone marrow or a hefty 500-gram cauliflower steak starring chimichurri and crispy florets. Otherwise, go straight for the $55 feed me menu. But wait, there's more: Bodriggy is also set to open a boutique bottle shop at the front of the site and a private dining room upstairs – stay tuned for details. Images: Kate Shanasy
Upstate has taken Melbourne and surrounds by storm, with its trademark high-energy fitness studios now spanning 13 locations with the recent launch of its Elsternwick studio. Now the brand is looking north to the Gold Coast, opening its first-ever interstate studio in Palm Beach. For those living in Goldy, expect the same vibrant design, feel-good vibes and fitness-focused sessions that have made Upstate such a hit down south. Situated just steps from the sand and surrounded by a host of top-notch cafes, the brand-new Palm Beach studio is headlined by Upstate's biggest reformer studio yet, featuring 29 beds primed for huge group workouts set to burst with upbeat energy. Speaking of workouts, Upstate is bringing its signature 45-minute full-body sessions to GC, offering a choice of Power, Burn or Strength classes, where you're invited to focus on your strength, endurance and mindset. "We're so pumped to bring the Upstate vibe to the Gold Coast," says Upstate Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Gail Asbell. "Palm Beach has the perfect energy for us — laidback yet vibrant. We can't wait to share our high-energy workouts and create a buzzing community here. This studio is a huge milestone for us, and we couldn't think of a better place to make our first Queensland debut." Launching in the heart of Palm Beach, just off the Gold Coast Highway, this outpost's radiant design reflects the bright and positive attitude synonymous with its studios. Immersed by the brand's iconic bursts of yellow, neon lights and steel finishes, it's basically made for setting up shop on the sun-soaked Gold Coast. "This year is a really exciting one for Upstate," continues Asbell. "We've launched our own Pilates Instructor Training program, introduced our first interstate retreat, and added Greece to our list of international retreat destinations for 2025. We're proud to be growing in ways that genuinely support our community, while working alongside incredible brand partners to create experiences that uplift and inspire." Upstate Palm Beach is expected to open soon at 4/1172 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach. Head to the website for more information.
Among the many gifts that 80s cinema gave the world, Glenn Close's (Tehran) turn as a bunny-boiling jilted lover in Fatal Attraction is one of them. There's committed performances and then there's her Oscar-nominated effort as Alex Forrest, the book editor who embarks upon an affair with Michael Douglas' (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) married Manhattan lawyer Dan Gallagher, then doesn't appreciate being seen as a mere fling. How does another version of Fatal Attraction follow that up? Why would one bother? How can the film's erotic-thriller storyline leap to TV, find a way forward decades beyond the genre's heyday, and update its plot and long-outdated sexual politics to today? Streaming from Monday, May 1, Paramount+'s eight-part series endeavours to answer those questions — engagingly and intriguingly, and with an excellent cast. There's an air of inevitability to the new Fatal Attraction before its first episode even begins; in this peak time for turning movie classics into television shows, of course the rabbit-stewing hit is getting that treatment. From A League of Their Own and Interview with the Vampire to Dead Ringers and American Gigolo, streaming platforms can't stop remaking the past, a trend that also sees a Cruel Intentions show in the works, plus Harry Potter and Twilight series. Fatal Attraction circa 2023 doesn't just jump on that bandwagon. In finding a way to flesh out the OG film's 119-minute narrative to almost eight hours and give itself a point of difference, it's also a murder-mystery. That's a calculating but involving move, steeping the show in another current favourite approach — see: fellow recent whodunnits Poker Face, Bad Sisters, The Afterparty, The Undoing and The Flight Attendant — and putting far more than a scorned woman in focus. Brought to the small screen by Alexandra Cunningham (Physical) and Kevin J Hynes (The Offer), with the feature's screenwriter James Dearden (Christmas Survival) co-penning several episodes — the 1987 script adapted his own 1979 short Diversion, too — the latest Fatal Attraction starts with its adulterous lawyer in prison. Formerly an assistant Los Angeles district attorney and head of major crimes on the way to a judgeship, this Dan (Joshua Jackson, Dr Death) has spent 15 years in incarceration. Petitioning for his freedom, he tells the parole board that he's thought about Alex Forrest's (Lizzy Caplan, Fleishman Is in Trouble) death every day across that decade and a half. But there's another side to his words — because, once out, he's back to protesting his innocence. More than that, he's determined to track down the killer, with help from his ex-colleague and ex-detective Mike Gerard (Toby Huss, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story). Listening in on that hearing is college student Ellen (Alyssa Jirrels, Saved by the Bell), Dan's now-grown daughter, who hasn't had any contact with her father at his request during his time inside. In Fatal Attraction's present-day thread, she's handily a psychology student specialising in Carl Jung and his collaborator Toni Wolff, and calls her mother Beth's (Amanda Peet, Brockmire) second husband Arthur (Brian Goodman, I Know This Much Is True) dad. Dan wants to reconnect, a quest that unfurls in parallel to his search for the truth, as well as the show's flashbacks to the late 00s. In the latter, he's reaching 40 and flying high until his move behind the bench doesn't pan out, which coincides with new LA arrival Alex crossing his professional path as a victim's advocate. It's telling that Cunningham also has Dirty John on her resume, while Hynes has the new TV version of Perry Mason; combine the first's romance-gone-murderous stories with the second's legal dramas and that's where their spin on Fatal Attraction largely lands. In the process, there's noticeably little eroticism beyond a tumble or two in Alex's window-filled loft, but there is a vital look at the narrative from more than just Dan's viewpoint. His privilege is called out — he's the son of a judge, even making him a nepo baby — as the show also steps through his liaison with Alex from her perspective, and then from Beth's. There's no doubting that revisiting the same events through multiple characters' eyes helps fill the series' running time; however, it also helps reinforce that all tales are shaped by whoever is telling them. Indeed, when Fatal Attraction dives into Alex's history, including the lifetime of terrible treatment from her always-philandering dad and lack of affection from her mum, it puts her mental health in the spotlight, plus her thoughts, feelings and motivations. This iteration is never just about a man who strays from his nuptials and ends up with unwanted attention, prison time and his life upended, but equally about how Alex's time with Dan appears to her, and why. Playing out across both of the series' periods, Fatal Attraction is similarly concerned with how the past forever shapes our futures, a notion it unpacks in layers. That said, it also throws in a ridiculous and questionable late development to underscore that line of thinking, which blatantly and needlessly tries to set up a second season. When the show isn't making wild swerves and delivering cliffhanger twists, it benefits from having Caplan and Jackson at its centre. Sliding into Close and Douglas' shoes is no simple task, so neither attempts to imitate their predecessors, instead capitalising upon their own patent chemistry and respective strengths as performers. Caplan has always excelled at exuding intelligence and vulnerability in tandem — amid acerbic quips, it's what helped make her part in Party Down such a gem — and Jackson has been making charming but flawed his niche since Dawson's Creek, then Fringe, then The Affair. He can't sell being 55 in Fatal Attraction's later timeline, though, and visibly isn't treated well in the hair department. The series' smart casting extends to perennial scene-stealer Huss, who could turn Mike into another show's slippery lead; the ever-reliable Peet, who is never asked to play Beth as just the betrayed spouse; and Jirrels, including while saddled with talking through much of Fatal Attraction's psychological musings. With perspective such a key part of this retelling, strong supporting performances couldn't be more essential. In fact, that too is a crucial reason that returning to this tale proves impossible to ignore, like Alex: it's still a portrait of obsession, but it spies more than just one type of fixation and one basis for it. Check out the trailer for Fatal Attraction below: Fatal Attraction streams via Paramount+ from Monday, May 1. Images: Monty Brinton / Michael Moriati, Paramount+.
The Esplanade Hotel Queenscliff has officially reopened with a fresh feel, a reimagined look, and a new name, following a major renovation. The venue embodies the true character of a coastal pub with warm timber decor and an inviting atmosphere for locals, visitors, families and kids. The pub, previously called the Queenscliff Brewhouse, was established in 1879, and has been an integral part of the Queenscliff community ever since. As part of this community engagement, the team spent time with locals to understand what they considered important about the venue. Turns out that locals felt strongly about the original name being reinstated, so what was going to be dubbed The Bellarine Hotel, became The Esplanade Hotel Queenscliff, once again. This is just a small example of how the pub pays respect to the community and its history. ''We are so excited to have reopened the doors of this beautiful pub," says venue manager Mitch Kovacic, "Our local legend has gotten a new lease on life, and we know our locals will love it — the buzz in the area has been awesome in the lead up to today." The extensive transformation included a revamp of the beer garden — with native landscaping, picnic-style tables and umbrellas — and of the kids' play area, making the pub even more family-friendly than it was before. Of course, the sports bar with TV screen-lined walls, a pool table and a fireplace is the ultimate spot to catch all the rowdy game-day action. The seasonal menu showcases fresh produce and pub classics. There's a chicken (or eggplant) parma, classic cheeseburger (or a plant-based version), schnitzels, fish and chips, steak with Diane sauce and seafood pasta. There are also harissa lamb skewers, crab and corn croquettes, spring gnocchi and tomato salad with peach and pickled onions. Check out the considerate kids' and seniors' menus too. To celebrate the reopening of the beloved pub, The Esplanade Hotel Queenscliff will play host to Locals Weekend, from Friday, tenth, to Sunday, October 12. The huge weekend kicks off with a free first drink, followed by live music, charity raffles, giveaways and kids' entertainment. Images: Supplied.
This is not a travel guide. This is a local's map of Sydney. These are the five places where Sydney Underground Film Festival co-director Katherine Berger goes to recaffeinate, play, rummage, work and party. SUFF is on Thursday to Sunday this week. Since 2007, the festival has been dedicated to fostering a truly alternative and experimental film culture in Sydney. In the past, it has premiered Oliver Stone's South of the Border, revisited cult classics like Red, White and Blue, and given a platform to emerging filmmakers working out on a limb. Check out our preview or buy tickets online. And keep an eye out for Katherine's upcoming lo-fi mockumentary Zombie Massacre III. 1.BEST URBAN PARKLAND: SUFF OFFICE/CALLAN PARK, ROZELLE SUFF finally moved from working out of a lounge room into a nice big office at Sydney College of the Arts (a wonderful form of sponsorship!). It's complete with retro bar bought on eBay for $30! I also love that that the college sits within Callan Park, Rozelle; where there are so many interesting nooks and crannies to discover – hidden gardens, a bamboo forest, water views, decrepit old buildings and even an informal cat sanctuary! 2. BEST NEPALESE FOOD: EVEREST KITCHEN, MARRICKVILLE Just off Marrickville Road on Victoria Road is Everest Kitchen, one of my favourite restaurants. I love the food here and always kick off with the vego traditional entree set. I could eat the soy bean salad and dumplings with beaten rice all day! 3.BEST OP-SHOPPING ADVENTURES: ANGLICARE, SUMMER HILL My Saturday morning ritual is first coffee then getting to the Anglicare Charity Store Depot on Carlton Crescent in Summer Hill by 9am. It's hilarious watching the eager shoppers inch forward and then basically run when they open the doors! Here you can buy second-hand clothes by the kilo ($8) and all shoes are $5. I strongly believe in op-shopping and rarely ever buy new clothes (could be my lack of budget also!) but I do believe we are a culture of over-consumption. Mind you, I probably over-consume in vintage shopping! 4.BEST COFFEE IN THE VILLAGE:THE DRUGSTORE, SUMMER HILL I live in Summer Hill, which I think is a great little suburb or village as it’s referred to. However, what blows my mind that in an area of basically two streets there is now ten cafes! I just imagine what if one day there was no more coffee beans? But I have to say the latest café to open, The Drugstore, is pretty cool. It's decked out all retro with neon lights, quality coffe and top-notch baristas. (PS. Plus it's right next door to Vinnies!) 5.BEST LOCAL VENUE:THE FACTORY THEATRE, MARRICKVILLE The Factory Theatre has been home of the Sydney Underground Film Festival since its inception 6 years ago. This venue suits the festival for its location in a somewhat of an industrial area (it used to be a printing factory), plus they have always allowed us to show some weird, messed up, crazy, and sometime quite risqué films - so they are pretty cool in our book.
After a few wines, fun can get messy. Without any alcohol at all, life always is. Since arriving on Netflix in 2019, grief-fuelled black comedy Dead to Me has always understood this. Just as crucially, it has always appreciated how the chaos that being alive brings is far easier to handle with a true friend by your side. Its key pair: Christina Applegate (Bad Moms 2) and Linda Cardellini (Hawkeye) as Jen Harding and Judy Hale, who started the show as strangers linked by tragedy, and by lies about exactly how deep that connection goes. With Dead to Me finishing with the just-dropped season three, the duo ends the series having changed each other in ways that neither could've initially imagined. Hit and runs, murders, duplicitous connections, secret twins, police investigations, shallow graves, money laundering, incriminating surveillance footage, big coverups: these aren't regular occurrences for most of us. But dealing with life, love, death, loss and disappointment is, and struggling to know how you want to spend your days — and who to spend them with. To navigate all of this, the only-on-TV and the everyday alike, Dead to Me bundles its leads together to help them cope. Sometimes, that involves big glasses of vino. Too often perhaps, leaning on a stereotype. Still, the fact that Jen and Judy need each other, and are better because they know each other, remains as heartfelt as Dead to Me's pile of twists proves tumultuous. When Dead to Me began with heavy A Simple Favour vibes, it was with Laguna Beach real-estate agent Jen left widowed with two kids (Condor's Sam McCarthy and IT: Chapter Two's Luke Roessler), and furious about it, after her husband Ted was killed in an accident. Aged-care nurse Judy comes into her orbit at her grief support group, telling a tale about similarly mourning after the death of her fiancé Steve Wood (James Marsden, Sonic the Hedgehog 2); however, her story is just a ruse to get close to Jen. The chalk-and-cheese women still find comfort in each other's company, with the free-spirited Judy countering Jen's acerbic, acidic, angry demeanour. Then, the revelations start flowing — and the more that their friendship is tested, the more the pair gravitate towards each other. When Dead to Me's ten-episode first season came to an end, it was with secrets being exposed and a growing body count. In season two, which dropped another ten episodes in 2020, Jen and Judy worked through the fallout, and the reality of having Steve's kinder, cornier twin brother Ben (also Marsden) around. This is a show about cycles and circles, so when its second outing finished, it was with another hit and run, this time with Jen and Judy as its victims. That's where season three's ten episodes pick up, with the two women in hospital weathering yet another aftermath to a significant event with yet another round of life-changing consequences. Hanging out with Jen and Judy as they endure several soap operas worth of turmoil — and just as many big life events, complete with romances, kids and health woes — has been one of Dead to Me's drawcards from the get-go. Creator and writer Liz Feldman (2 Broke Girls) perfected the show's lead casting, so much so that even simply putting Applegate and Cardellini together with a bottle of wine has always sparked compelling, touching, insightful and hilarious moments. That's hardly surprising given both actors' prior resumes, and their screen presence. In her first lead TV role since 2011–12 sitcom Up All Night, Married with Children and Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead alum Applegate plays world-weary and just weary with relatable force, while ex-Freaks and Geeks, Scooby Doo, Mad Men and Bloodline star Cardellini knows how to give the positive-thinking Judy both weight and heart. Applegate and Cardellini have deserved their past Emmy nominations — two for the former, one for the latter — and they're each as adept at balancing Dead to Me's dark comedy and rampant dramas in season three. There's a greater sense of what the bond between the show's protagonists truly means this time, though, befitting its final go-around. As even more hardship, heartbreak and law enforcement officers are thrown at its central pair, the series also sees them lean on each other as a constant when little else earns that description. That said, because everything changes including our dearest relationships, it contemplates what Jen and Judy can always draw on from each other even if they're not perennially side by side. Finding solace in complicated bonds, the strength to confront life's challenges, and the savviness to know when to appreciate the small wins and big delights: that's Dead to Me season three's arc. It's the series' in general, and was long before it was announced that it would finish after a third and final run. In fact, that's why all the trauma and twists have worked, reflecting the truth that anything and everything can happen to us all every day, so all that we can do is work out how to soldier on. Of course, now that Dead to Me is bringing its odd-couple tale to a conclusion — a fitting one, that keeps recognising the gifts, shocks, joys and sorrows that greet everyone — farewells and heightened feelings frequently go hand in hand. Accordingly, unexpected diagnoses, meddling cops (returnees Diana Maria Riva, Kajillionaire, and Brandon Scott, Goliath), sleuthing federal agents (series newcomer Garrett Dillahunt, Where the Crawdads Sing), old flames (Natalie Morales, The Little Things) and frustrating neighbours (Suzy Nakamura, Avenue 5) all pop up. So do creepy rooms filled with twin dolls, plus outlaw names: Bitch Cassidy and Judy Five Fingers (who chooses which is obvious). Yes, Dead to Me goes all in on as many more plot swings as it can fit in as it rides off into the sunset. In the process, the show's swansong evokes as many emotions as it can, too. Amid the twists and laughs in tandem, however — and all the murders, mysteries and other doses of mayhem along the way — this show has always been able to make its feelings stick, just like its against-the-odds core friendship. Check out the full trailer for Dead to Me's third season below: Dead to Me's third season is available to stream via Netflix. Images: Saeed Adyani / Netflix.
While making a good first impression when you finally meet the parents isn't always easy, finding somewhere perfect to share a meal for the first time should be a breeze — Melbourne has an abundance of great dinner spots that'll set the tone and have you in their good books in no time. From world-class fine dining to contemporary gastropubs and casual eateries that still pack a punch, there's bound to be somewhere in Melbourne that suits whatever taste or table you're after. To make discovering these joints even easier, we've enlisted the help of American Express to create what we're calling The Shortlist. To do so, we've done a deep-dive on our directory and come up with a selection of the best dining spots that aren't too loud, show you're a respectable candidate for the love of their child and also accept your Amex. Now, worry less about where you're taking the 'rents, and start preparing your responses to those landmine questions. You know they're coming. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
Fitzroy North's Horn Please has a surefire way to cure your Sunday hangover: all-you-can-eat curry. But, it's not just curry. It's six different vegan curries, plus rice and a couple of starters. And you can dispel any worries you've got about spending too much cash — all of this will only cost you $30. It's not just a great deal for those with day-after regrets, either. Can't be bothered cooking? Want a cheap date night? Have a vegan mate to entertain? Tick, tick, tick. [caption id="attachment_775009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peter Tarasiuk[/caption] The all-you-can-eat deal is available across three 90-minute sittings every Sunday — 5pm, 6.30pm and 8pm. You'll kick things off with two entrees — maybe some cauliflower and spinach fritters — before digging into unlimited serves of curry. The lineup's set to vary, though you can bank on Horn Please favourites like chana masala and butternut squash curry, alongside newcomers like aloo gobi with cauliflower and potatoes. And as always, you can pair that food with wine, signature cocktails or brews from the legendary Horn Please beer fridge. You'll need to make a booking if you want to head along, so head over to the website quick smart. If you're choosing to go out and support local businesses, have a look at the latest COVID-19 advice and social-distancing guidelines from the Department of Health.
Australia's most prestigious portrait award is around the corner, and its finalists have just been announced. Every year, speculation about who will be awarded the coveted prize and, more often than not, the Archibald winner itself, causes much-heated debate. From 2018's five-time Archibald finalist Yvette Coppersmith's first win to Tony Costa's win with his painting of fellow artist Lindy Lee — the first portrait of an Asian Australian to pick up the prize — it's hard a win to pick. All that's really assured is that it'll be a portrait of a person by an Australian. Held at the Art Gallery of NSW every year, the Archibald runs in conjunction with the Wynne and Sulman Prizes — recognising the best landscape painting of Australian scenery, or figure sculpture and the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project, respectively. This year, because of a certain pandemic, the Archibald was postponed and is running from September 2020 to January 2021. As usual, it's sure to be popular, but instead of pushing through crowds to see the prized portraits, you'll have a bit of space thanks to reduced capacities and timed tickets. And you'll have some exceptional artworks to feast your eyes upon, too. Famed Sydney street artist Scott Marsh's portrait of musician Adam Briggs has made the cut, as have a haunting painting of comedian Magda Szubanski and a Star Trek-esque oil work of NSW Minister for Environment and Energy Matt Kean. Wongutha-Yamatji artist Meyne Wyatt has also taken out the coveted 2020 Archibald Packing Room Prize, chosen by the packing room team, becoming the first Indigenous Australian to win any Archibald award in the competition's 99-year history. As there are so many outstanding portraits this year (as there are every year), it's impossible to know which of the 55 is going to take home the $100,000 prize. Regardless, here are some of our favourites — and some we think may have a good chance of winning. [caption id="attachment_783644" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Meyne Wyatt, 'Meyne', copyright the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling[/caption] MEYNE WYATT — MEYNE Actor and artist Meyne Wyatt became the first Indigenous Australian in Archibald history to win any of the competition's awards when he won the 2020 Archibald Packing Room Prize. The history-making self-portrait is a realistic acrylic painting and, in fact, Wyatt's first painting in over ten years. The Wongutha-Yamatji man and first-time Archibald entrant has no formal art training, but gets some handy tips from his mum Sue Wyatt who was herself an Archibald finalist in 2003. If the portrait above, and Wyatt's signature raised eyebrow, look familiar, it's likely you've seen him in the likes of The Sapphires, Redfern Now and Neighbours. [caption id="attachment_783639" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scott Marsh, 'Salute of gentle frustration'. Copyright the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] SCOTT MARSH — SALUTE OF GENTLE FRUSTRATION Artist Scott Marsh's portraits aren't a rare site on the streets of Sydney (see: Egg Boy, Mike Baird and Kanye Loves Kanye) but they are a rare site on the walls of the AGNSW. The first-time finalist has joined the ranks of the country's art elite with his seventh submission to the Archibald Prize: a portrait of Indigenous Australian rapper Adam Briggs. The portrait is entitled Salute of gentle frustration, which Marsh says references "the deep fatigue of generations of Aboriginal people demanding equality against a backdrop of political rhetoric and inaction". [caption id="attachment_783691" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaylene Whiskey, 'Dolly visits Indulkana'. Copyright the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] KAYLENE WHISKEY — DOLLY VISITS INDULKANA Self-taught artist Kaylene Whiskey listens to the music of famed American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton while she paints. It's an effective technique, it seems, with Whiskey already cleaned up the Sulman Prize in 2018 and the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award for general painting in 2019. Now, Whiskey is one of 55 finalists selected for the Archibald Prize with a self-portrait in which Dolly visits her home in the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. In the painting, Dolly holds a bejewelled guitar and the pair is surrounded by clocks, cameras, superwomen, galahs and a flying nun. [caption id="attachment_783632" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Angus McDonald, 'Behrouz Boochani'. Copyright the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] ANGUS MCDONALD — BEHROUZ BOOCHANI This year, after more than six years in an Australian offshore detention centre, celebrated Kurdish Iranian writer Behrouz Boochani was granted asylum in New Zealand. Sydney artist Angus McDonald first made contact with Boochani when he was making a documentary, called Manus, about the Manus Island detention centre, but was not allowed onto the island to meet him. So, when Boochani landed in NZ, McDonald decided to fly there and paint him instead. The oil portrait sees Boochani looking directly at the viewer, which McDonald says portrays Boochani as a "a strong, confident and peaceful man who survived a brutal ordeal and is now free". [caption id="attachment_783692" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yuri Shimmyo, 'Carnation, lily, Yuri, rose'. Copyright the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] YURI SHIMMYO — CARNATION, LILY, YURI, ROSE Japan-born, Sydney-based artist Yuri Shimmyo's inspiration for her self-portrait came from a 19th-century painting by John Singer Sargent called Carnation, lily, lily, rose. While Sargent's painting features two girls playing in a garden, Shimmyo's features herself — Yuri means 'lily' in Japanese — covered in lilies, surrounded by a wallpaper of roses. As for the carnations, if you look to the left of the oil portrait, you'll red-and-blue tins of Carnation milk. The winning portraits and finalists will be on display at Sydney's Art Gallery of NSW from Saturday, September 26 to Sunday, January 10. If you do't agree with the judges, you can cast your own vote for People's Choice before Sunday, December 13. ARCHIBALD PRIZE 2020 DATES Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney — September 26–January 10 Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, NSW — January 22–March 7 Cairns Art Gallery, Qld — March 19–May 2 Griffith Regional Art Galley, NSW — May 14–June 27 Broken Hill Regional Art Galley, NSW — July 9–August 22 Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, NSW — September 3–October 17 Penrith Regional Gallery, NSW — October 29–December 5 If you can't make it to any of the above dates, you can check out the award winners and finalists of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes on the Art Gallery of NSW website.
Comings and goings are part of every soap opera, especially any series that's notched up decade after decade on the small screen. With Neighbours marking its 40th anniversary in 2025, plenty of faces have arrived and departed the show since 1985. Now the Aussie staple itself is saying farewell — again. The long-running series initially wrapped up in 2022, then was resurrected by Amazon in 2023, but has now been cancelled for a second time. "We are sad to announce that Neighbours will be resting from December 2025. New episodes from the 40th-anniversary season will continue to air on Prime Video and Ten four times a week until the end of the year, with all the big soapie twists and turns that our viewers love," announced the team behind the series on social media. "Audiences all around the world have loved and embraced Neighbours for four decades and we are very proud of the huge success over the last two years, including often appearing as one of the Top 10 titles in the UK and the show's first ever Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Daytime Series in 2024. As this chapter closes, we appreciate and thank Amazon MGM Studios for all that they have done for Neighbours — bringing this iconic and much-loved series to new audiences globally," said Neighbours Executive Producer Jason Herbison. "We value how much the fans love Neighbours and we believe there are more stories of the residents of Ramsay Street to tell in the future." Herbison's statement leaves the door open for a continuation, if another TV network or streaming platform were to decide that everybody needs more Neighbours. When the show first said goodbye in 2022 — when it was originally cancelled after being dropped by its UK network, Channel 5, leaving local backer Network Ten without enough funding to continue the series — it did so with help from some of its big-name past stars. Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Barbie star Margot Robbie and The Brutalist Oscar-nominee Guy Pearce all returned for its initial sendoff, before the series made a comeback in 2023. Since its mid-80s debut, Neighbours has aired more than 9000 episodes, all charting the lives of characters either living in or connected to the show's cul-de-sac in the fictitious Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. As well as Minogue, Donovan and Pearce, 80s-era Neighbours boasted a four-episode stint from Russell Crowe (Kraven the Hunter). In the 90s, Natalie Imbruglia got her start there. Liam Hemsworth (Lonely Planet) was a regular in the 00s, as was Robbie, and Chris Hemsworth (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) popped up in one 2002 episode before moving over to rival Aussie soap Home and Away. Also just as sizeable: the show's four decades of twists, amnesia spells, shock returns from the dead, and Ramsay and Robinson family dramas. Neighbours will continue to air until December 2025 via Network Ten and Prime Video in Australia, Prime Video in New Zealand, and Amazon Freevee in the UK and US — then say farewell. Images: Fremantle / Prime Video.
For nearly a decade, Thornbury Picture House has been more than just a place to watch films, serving as a gathering spot and a creative hub for Melbourne's northern suburbs. Now, co-owners Gus and Lou Berger are bringing that same sense of community to Brunswick, with the opening of Brunswick Picture House on Sydney Road this November. "We've been living in Brunswick for ten years," Gus says. "With that comes a kind of understanding of the area, its independence, diversity, and vibrancy. I want our programming to reflect that." For Berger, cinemas are as essential to a neighbourhood as libraries, record shops, and cafés. "Every community deserves to have a cinema nearby," he says. "It completes the community." At the Thornbury Picture House, Berger and his wife, Lou, set out to do something different from the multiplex model. A place where people could gather, chat, and share a film rather than just watch one. "We never wanted to be a typical cinema," Gus explains. "We've always seen ourselves as more of a community hang-out." That approach will carry over to Brunswick, with the same emphasis on accessibility and collaboration. Local filmmakers will be encouraged to host screenings, premieres, and cast-and-crew events at affordable rates. "As a filmmaker myself, I understand how much love and effort go into making a movie," Gus says. "It's a privilege to be the place where those films are first shown to friends, family, and collaborators." Beyond film screenings, the team plans to keep their doors open for community events and fundraisers. "It feels good to give back to the community that's supporting you," Gus adds. While many cinemas chase the latest blockbusters, Berger's philosophy is rooted in connection. "There's something special about everyone coming to see the same film together, hanging out afterwards, talking about it," he says. "That shared experience, that's what we're trying to create." That communal feeling often extends beyond the screen. Expect to see DJs or live bands performing before select screenings, themed nights, and their signature mini-festivals, as well as from the Northern Lights Film Festival, which celebrates local short films and music videos, to Beats Working, a showcase of the year's best music documentaries. "We love curating nights that feel like an event, more than just watching a movie," Gus says. Gus's passion for film heritage is undeniable. A filmmaker himself (his documentary The Lost City of Melbourne explored the city's vanished cinemas), he's committed to keeping film history alive — quite literally — through 35mm projection. "There's something about seeing a film on 35mm that feels alive and real," he says. "You can see the grain, the texture, it's imperfect in a beautiful way." The Brunswick venue will feature a 35mm projector, a rare treat for cinephiles in the northern suburbs. "We can't wait to bring that experience back." Berger believes cinemas hold deep emotional resonance for people. "Everyone remembers the cinema of their childhood, where they went on their first date, or where they escaped during hard times," he says. "Cinemas are woven into the stories of our lives." Brunswick Picture House will carry the same design as its Thornbury counterpart, part retro charm, part arthouse edge. The Bergers are bringing along their personal collection of vintage film gear, including old cameras and poster art, to decorate the space. "Framing those prints and old photographs has been such a joy," Gus says. "It's a way of honouring cinema's past while creating something fresh." Visitors can expect a warm, welcoming atmosphere and a beautiful timber bar for that pre- or post-film drink. "We want people to walk in and feel like they're in a special place, one that loves cinema as much as they do," Gus says. "After months of dealing with builders, I can't wait to get back to the fun part, creating experiences that bring people together." Brunswick Picture House opens in late November on Sydney Road. Stay tuned for programming updates and special events. Images: Supplied
When the Melbourne International Film Festival kicked off its 2020 event on August 6, and did so with Kelly Reichardt's sublime First Cow, it really didn't matter that it wasn't all happening in person. We'd all rather be getting our three-week-long winter film fix in person, of course — crowding into cinemas, standing in snaking lines on Russell Street, making the mad dash along Swanston Street and braving Melbourne's frosty weather, as has been the case every other year — but a great movie remains a great movie whether it's opening a festival physically as we're all used to, or virtually as these COVID-19 times dictate. In MIFF's case, it doesn't just have one stellar film on its 2020 bill. MIFF 68 1/2, as this year's fest has been badged, really did start as it intends to continue. Until Sunday, August 23, at-home movie buffs can watch their way through more than 100 titles, including full-length fare and shorts, from the comfort of their couches — and from the fest's jam-packed features lineup, we've reviewed (and heartily recommend) these ten absolute highlights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_D5D7HayMc&feature=emb_logo EMA A new film by Pablo Larraín is always cause for excitement, and Ema is no different. In fact, it's a stunning piece of cinema that stands out even among the Chilean director's already impressive resume. He's the filmmaker behind stirring political drama No, exacting religious interrogation The Club, poetic biopic Neruda and the astonishing, Natalie Portman-starring Jackie — to name just a few of his movies — so that's no minor feat. This time, he hones in on the dancer (Mariana Di Girolamo) who gives the feature its name. After adopting a child with her choreographer partner Gastón (Gael García Bernal), something other than domestic bliss followed, and now she's not only trying but struggling to cope in the aftermath. Di Girolamo is magnetic, whether she's dancing against a vivid backdrop, staring pensively at the camera or being soaked in neon light, and Larraín's skill as both a visual- and emotion-driven filmmaker is never in doubt. Indeed, this film's imagery — and its exploration of trauma, shock and their impact — aren't easily forgotten. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiFEgrIRp7s&feature=emb_logo ROSE PLAYS JULIE In Rose Plays Julie, a young Irish veterinary student born with the name Julie, adopted out to a new family as a baby and then given the moniker Rose (Vikings' Ann Skelly) begins a search for her birth mother (Orla Brady) — and then her biological father (Game of Thrones' Aidan Gillen), too. Don't go dismissing this potent, purposefully thorny and provocative film as a standard family drama, though, no matter how straightforward that description sounds. In a movie that plunges into disturbing thriller territory and seethes with tension from the outset, writer/directors Christine Molloy and Joe Lawler have something very different and far more complex in mind. As brought to the screen with taut, precise visuals, a slow-burn pace and a layered performance by Skelly, Rose's foray into her past unearths a shatteringly tragic incident that could forever change the young woman's sense of self. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGscwJZ5rFA NO HARD FEELINGS Winning the Teddy Award at this year's Berlinale — the prize for the festival's standout film with LGBTQIA+ themes, as previously given to the likes of A Fantastic Woman and The Kids Are All Right— No Hard Feelings is the work of a certain rising star. It's writer/director Faraz Shariat's first film, it's partly based on its own experiences, and it deeply, thoughtfully, engagingly and vividly interrogates and explores the life of a queer man of Iranian descent who has spent his entire life in Germany. Parvis (Benny Radjaipour) was born and raised in Europe, and he's out and proud. Dancing and drinking the night away ranks among his favourite pastimes, alongside passionate Grindr hookups. But when he's sentenced to community service at a refugee centre after a stint of shoplifting, then befriends fellow Iranian Banafshe Arezu (Banafshe Hourmazdi) and sparks up a romance with her brother Amon (Eidin Jalali), the way he's seen by his adopted homeland — and the treatment afforded asylum seekers and anyone considered different — is firmly thrust into focus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN-mYRcJaf0&feature=emb_logo LAST AND FIRST MEN At present, every movie filled with everyday folks amassing in public, or even just hugging or shaking hands, feels more than a little like science fiction. We've said it before, and we're sure we'll say it again. And yet, while Last and First Men is an eerie and intelligent dystopian sci-fi film through and through, it doesn't feature a single person on-screen. Instead, the one and only movie directed by Oscar-nominated composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (Sicario, The Theory of Everything) before his 2018 death trains the camera at towering sculptures that prove instantly mesmerising to look at — and look, this movie does — and even a tad unsettling. The concept, as inspired by the 1930 novel of the same name, explained in lyrical waves of poetic prose spoken by Tilda Swinton, presented as a message from one of the earth's very last residents, and accompanied by a haunting score: several billion years into the future, after several leaps in evolution and drastic changes to life as we currently know it, humanity faces its extinction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVf8in0dj9s LA LLORONA In 2019, in one of the many spinoffs from The Conjuring franchise, The Curse of La Llorona dallied with Mexican folklore. The aim: to rustle up some formulaic scares, a task that proved largely unsuccessful but won't stop the blockbuster series from continuing to do what it does. Also first surfacing last year at international festivals, Guatemalan movie La Llorona isn't that film, thankfully. It's a feature about being haunted, too; however the ghosts caused by not just trauma but genocide, the ideology that enables such atrocities and the ongoing impact generations later all linger over this commanding, compelling and rightly award-winning psychological horror effort. The latest film by The Volcano's Jayro Bustamante, it follows the reckoning due to former army general Enrique Monteverde (Julio Diaz) over his state-sanctioned role in oppressing and attacking Guatemala's Mayan people three decades earlier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn5fZ5XwtZ4 JUST 6.5 Iranian actor Payman Maadi has many top-notch performances to his name, including in Asghar Farhadi's About Elly and A Separation, as well as in TV series The Night Of. Add Just 6.5 to the growing list, with the involving, hard-hitting crime drama casting him as a cop on the trail of drug traffickers — a job that, given the country's notoriously punishing treatment of those caught dealing illicit substances, is not only a tough and demanding gig day in and day out, but comes with grave consequences for the criminals he apprehends. Ramping up the tension to almost relentless levels, filmmaker Saeed Roustayi explores all sides of the law-and-order war against narcotics, from those slinging drugs for profit to the police officers battling to stem the flow. Aided by excellent portrayals not just by Maadi, but also co-star Navid Mohammadzadeh as the main man in his character's sights, this is a riveting thriller from start to finish — and a movie with much to say about the situation it grimly depicts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLWSW77iWTI KILL IT AND LEAVE THIS TOWN With Kill It and Leave This Town, veteran animator Mariusz Wilczyński unravels a surrealist nightmare that's unlike any other animated movie you've ever seen. The product of a decade's work, and also marking his feature filmmaking debut, it's set in communist-era Poland in the 60s and 70s — as everyday events, particularly interactions between parents and their children, beget waves of anxiety and absurdism drawn from the filmmaker's own experiences and memories. Both tender and tragic moments dance across the screen, as brought to life with a handmade aesthetic that's distinctive, disarmingly effective, and also channels the industrial-leaning paintings (no, not films) of none other than David Lynch. This is truly a movie that's best discovered by watching, and also a feature that can only be really appreciated by letting its visuals and vibe wash over you. Equally affecting and out-there, unsurprisingly, it's quite the trip. 9TO5: THE STORY OF A MOVEMENT We know, we know: you know have Dolly Parton's immensely catchy '9 to 5' stuck in your head. Yes, it pops up in the documentary that shares its name. Yes, you'll be singing it to yourself for days after you watch this film. Yes, you'll hear Jane Fonda tell a great behind-the-scenes tale about the first time she heard the song. But this isn't just an ode to a very popular tune, or the movie of the same moniker either. Rather, as directed by Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar — who just this year won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for American Factory — 9to5: The Story of a Movement chronicles the real-life campaign for equality in the workplace that gave rise to the hit track and comedy flick. A pivotal history lesson, as well as an important reminder about what has and hasn't changed since women in the workplace were expected to remain happy as underpaid, overworked, wife-like secretaries, this is an archival footage-filled, talking heads-heavy, always-engaging doco with insights not only into the past, but into employment today as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdzSVxLJwrU&feature=emb_logo MOGUL MOWGLI Riz Ahmed not only stars in but also cowrites Mogul Mowgli — and given that he's playing a British Pakistani rapper, and the Four Lions and Rogue One actor also happens to be British Pakistani rapper himself, this incisive drama understandably feels personal. It's also electrifying from the moment when, early in the film, Ahmed's character Zed takes the stage and unleashes his politically charged lyrics about his experiences to a responsive audience. Zed is on the cusp of stardom but, just as he secures his next big opportunity in a supporting slot on a lucrative European tour, his health unexpectedly begins to fail him. Exploring the fallout, including the professional disappointment, Zed's struggles with his cultural heritage upon his return home to London and the tough reality of facing a shattering diagnosis, writer/director Bassam Tariq makes an exceptional debut, crafting a film that's as bold, dynamic and probing as its central performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKvliqAoN00 WOMEN MAKE FILM: A NEW ROAD MOVIE THROUGH CINEMA MIFF isn't just virtually screening a whole heap of movies in 2020 — it's also screening a mammoth 14-hour documentary about the very medium it loves and cherishes. Exactly what Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema covers is obvious from its title; however don't expect this female-focused exploration of cinema history to only tell you what you already know. As the iconic The Story of Film: An Odyssey already established, Mark Cousins' lengthy docos never take a standard approach. They rove and roam through their subject, overlaying expert analysis and personal insights across a treasure trove of clips, and positively bursting with cinephilia of both the astute and intimate kind. Here, with Tilda Swinton narrating (yes, again) alongside Jane Fonda (another MIFF 2020 favourite), Adjoa Andoh, Sharmila Tagore, Kerry Fox, Thandie Newton and Debra Winger, Cousins dives as deep as anyone can into the oft-overlooked canon of works by women directors — 183 of them, in fact — as well as their visual and narrative techniques over the years. MIFF 68 1/2 runs from Thursday, August 6–Sunday, August 23. For further details and to buy online tickets, visit the festival's website.
UPDATE, 2 AUGUST, 2018: After copping much backlash to its indefinite free-plastic bag offer, Coles has put a deadline on it — just 24 hours later. As reported by the SMH the company sent an internal email to staff notifying them that the offer would end on August 29. While an official statement has not been made by the company, we can only hope it sticks to its guns this time. In the next chapter of Australia's plastic bag saga, Coles has paused its ban again. And, this time, it'll be handing out free reusable bags indefinitely. The supermarket giant attempted to implement a nationwide single-use plastic bag ban on July 1, but announced just six days later that it would be giving them out for free for until July 8 (which was later extended to August 1). The reusable bags that are being given out for free would usually cost shoppers 15c. They're thicker, more durable and are made from 80 percent recycled plastic — and were meant to encourage shoppers to bring them back, again and again, rather than buying a new one each time. The reason Coles has backflipped on its ban is because, supposedly, customers "need more time". A company spokesperson told the ABC, "Some customers told us they needed more time to make the transition." The spokesperson continued, "Many customers bringing bags from home are still finding themselves short a bag or two so we are offering complimentary reusable Better Bags to help them complete their shopping." The complimentary bag offer is only valid in NSW, Vic, WA and Qld, as the other states and territories have already had single-use plastic bag bans in place for several years (SA leading the pack, introducing it back in 2009). The supermarket also offers a cloth bag alternative, its $1 Community Bags, which are designed by Australian school children and ten percent of sales are donated to charities. It's designed to be used repeatedly. Supermarket rival Woolworths, who also implemented a bag on July 1 and also temporarily gave them out for free, is currently charging for the 15c reusable bags.
The newly refurbished Crowne Plaza Melbourne is keen to remind you that the days of boring lobby bars and hotel restaurants are long gone. So much so that it's just unveiled not one, but three sparkling new venues. The Spencer Street site's now home to Japanese French restaurant Yugo, lunch and coffee joint Pow Wow, and the aptly named Dive Bar, all helmed by Creative Director Matthew Butcher, who's worked alongside industry stars like Gordon Ramsay and Shannon Bennett. Sporting an edgy fit-out of teal blue, black and white stripes, and brass accents designed by LA designer Amy Kim, Yugo has plenty of swagger. At the restaurant's heart, a private dining room sits in a glass box, its see-through walls able to be instantly frosted for privacy. From the open kitchen come dishes staring flavours and techniques from both Japan and France, like the beef tartare with pickled daikon, chicken live pâté with umeboshi, a French onion ramen starring gruyère cheese, and a vegan tonkotsu. For dessert, expect the likes of yuzu curd, matcha ice cream and sourdough crumpets with honey and sansho pepper. Pow Wow works as both a cafe and co-working space, sporting a bright, Cali-inspired look and plenty of pastel colours. Here, you might team some laptop time with bites like an omelette wrap or bacon and egg roll, or lunch on the likes of a quinoa salad bowl or spiced pork cuban sambo. There are on-the-go food packs for breakfast and lunch, too, and a drinks list that runs from coffee and kombucha to a rosé from Geelong winemakers Anti-Heroes. And booze-focused sibling Dive Bar is the cool kid of the bunch, its moody interiors laced with hot pink and neon, and a jukebox sits in one corner. The bar is slinging boutique brews, Japanese whiskies and lavish cocktails like the Breakfast of Champions — a blend of vodka, banana, blueberry, Froot Loops and coconut milk. Bar snacks might see you downing a fried chicken sub with ranch dressing, a Japanese hot dog with bonito, a mac 'n' cheese toastie or some kewpie-matched waffle fries. Find Yugo, Pow Wow and Dive Bar on Level 2, 1-5 Spencer Street, Melbourne.
When 2022 ends and 2023 begins, Woodfordia in southeast Queensland will host the Woodford Folk Festival for the first since 2019 gave way to 2020. Thousands of music and arts lovers will descend upon the Moreton Bay Hinterland spot, and plenty of them will be camping. It's an annual tradition — if you live in southeast Queensland and you haven't camped at Woodford to see out the year at least once, do you really southeast Queensland? — and, timed perfectly for the upcoming fest, the site's accommodation options just levelled up. Woodfordia has already been home to Lake Gkula for the past three years, with the conservation and recreation habitat part of the event's 500-acre parkland. To take advantage of the site, it's been hosting camping beyond Woodford's usual dates, too. Adding onsite glamping tents was always in the works — and now they're here. Twenty luxury tents are now up and running, joining Woodfordia permanently. Each one features a fully furnished room for four, complete with a queen bed, bunk beds, sofa, dining table and chairs, fixed ensuites and kitchens, and sits in the existing camping grounds around Lake Gkula — close to the General Store. To start with, glamping will be offered at at the Woodford Folk Festival and across Easter in 2023, aka when camping at Lake Gkula is happening anyway. The plan, however, is to welcome in glampers year-round, and give holidaymakers a new getaway option. "The glamping tents will be booked for events ranging from the iconic Woodford Folk Festival to the two-week Lake Gkula Camping period in Easter 2023," said Woodfordia Inc General Manager Amanda Jackes. "Ultimately, these gorgeous glamping tents will be available for bookings year-round during either festivals and events, or for private functions or short-term holiday stays." "Accommodation has always been an issue at Woodfordia, with the most recent festival selling out all our 120 premium luxury bell tents along with the 250 tent city tent motels. These luxury glamping units will bring a new level of indulgent offering for our patrons." Upon launch, prices start at $305 per night with a three-night minimum booking. Even for Easter, some tents are already sold out — so if you're already thinking about your autumn vacation, getting in quick is recommended. Located 75-minutes north of Brisbane by car, Lake Gkula provides quite the scenic backdrop for a holiday. The man-made spot is teeming with fish and plant life, with than 16 species of native freshwater fish and crustaceans are swimming in its waters. For plenty of greenery, over 8000 plants have been planted in and around the lake to-date. Crucially for both the lake's biodiversity and for human swimmers, the entire body of water is chemical-free, using pumps and injectors to keep both a constant water flow and high levels of oxygen. The water is pushed through two wetlands, which act to purify the lake while also encouraging microorganisms to thrive. For more information about glamping at Woodfordia's Lake Gkula, visit the Woodfordia website. The 2022–23 Woodford Folk Festival runs from Tuesday, December 27, 2022–Sunday, January 1, 2023. For further details, head to the Woodford Folk Festival website. Images: Waterscapes / Gain Ryan / Jen Quodling, Woodford Folk Festival via Flickr.
